Ruben Dias defends Cristiano Ronaldo amid Portugal controversy | OneFootball

Ruben Dias has played down the furore around Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent conduct with Portugal, insisting the noise is being inflated by outside scrutiny. According to Goal.com, the Manchester City defender said the fuss does not reflect the squad’s view.

Ronaldo played 67 minutes in a 1-0 win over Wales, then stayed on the bench for Sunday’s 2-1 victory against Norway after Jorge Jesus had promised him 30 minutes. He headed straight down the tunnel without acknowledging supporters and missed two training sessions, with the manager later describing the call as tactical before Denmark on Thursday in the Nations League.

Dias said the captain remains central to the group and that players such as himself, Bernardo and Bruno give the controversy far less weight than the public debate. He framed it as a media narrative rather than a dressing-room issue.

Ronaldo and Jesus met on Tuesday night with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca for what were billed as clear-the-air talks, according to the official line. The mood around camp has since steadied.

The centre-back argued that brief flashes of frustration are part of elite careers, noting that every player experiences disagreements or complicated moments. He said perspective matters, that such episodes pass quickly and do not diminish a decades-long commitment, and that the team were celebrating an important win minutes later.

Pressed on Manchester City matters, Dias declined to comment, stressing he would not address anything unrelated to the national team.

Source: Goal.com

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