(Portugal coach, Jorge Jesus Photo Credit: X/Fabrizio Romano)
Portugal manager Jorge Jesus said late Tuesday that he has not read Cristiano Ronaldo’s long public statement about their recent fallout, because he was watching the Portugal under-21 team play.
Football expert Fabrizio Romano shared the comments on social media on Wednesday.
Jesus told reporters he did not read Cristiano’s statement as he was watching the Portugal U21 game, and said he will now have time to read it.
His words came hours after the 41-year-old Ronaldo posted a detailed account of what led him to leave the national team camp last week.
In the statement, the Al Nassr forward accused Jesus of going back on his word twice.
He said the coach promised him about 30 minutes against Norway in the UEFA Nations League but left him on the bench after a long warm-up.
He also said Jesus failed to make agreed public clarifications at a later press conference.
Ronaldo said the two had earlier talked about a plan to manage his playing time during the international break.
He claimed a later private meeting with federation officials produced points Jesus was supposed to address in public, but the coach’s remarks did not reflect them.
Ronaldo said sorry to his teammates and fans for how he left, accepted that he could face punishment, and did not rule out a return.
Jesus, who took over Portugal after the 2026 World Cup and once worked with Ronaldo at Al Nassr, has said there is no real crisis and that team rules apply to every player the same way.
Portugal remain unbeaten under the veteran coach in Nations League games this autumn.
⚠️🇵🇹 Portugal manager Jorge Jesus last night: “I didn’t read Cristiano’s statement, I was watching Portugal U21 game”. “I will now have time to read it”. https://t.co/3ev3bGQKcH
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 7, 2026