How the coach of the national team of Portugal was bullied for the scandal with Ronaldo

The captain of the national team of Portugal, five-time winner of the Golden Ball Cristiano Ronaldo on September 30 voluntarily left the location of the national team the day before the match of the League of Nations with Denmark (4: 2). The reason was a conflict with the head coach of the team Georges Jesouch.

In the previous match against Norway, Ronaldo was on the bench for the first time in a long time. 30 minutes before the end of the meeting, the coach sent him to warm up, but, to the surprise of the striker, he did not release him on the field. After the game, the player went to the dressing room without thanking the fans.

Jesos later revealed that the decision not to release the forward was his own. After that, Ronaldo did not join the team at the next training session and returned to the hotel. The head of the Portuguese Football Federation, Pedro Proenza, arrived in Copenhagen to resolve the situation, but he failed.

Ronaldo left Denmark on a private plane, saying that "in due course he will tell the truth to all the Portuguese people," which he did on October 6. In his statement, the forward spoke about the details of the conflict with Jesús. According to him, the coach twice violated this word: he did not release him to the match with Norway and did not publicly disclose the incident, although he promised to do so. Ronaldo also apologized to the national team and fans, saying that he was ready for punishment, but does not plan to end his career in the national team.

He expressed hope that the country will support him amid the conflict with Ronaldo, and said he is ready to return the player to the team if he wants. The coach said he would not apologize for what happened. After the publication of the message of the captain of the national team, Jesos said that he had read it and had nothing to say.

Ronaldo’s departure from Portugal caused a wide resonance and lively discussions. Many experts and famous football players criticized the coach, but there were those who took his side.

How the Portuguese national team reacted

Midfielder Bruno Fernandes, who in the absence of Ronaldo wears the armband of the captain of the national team, said that he spoke with the striker, and urged respect for all parties to the conflict. "As for Cristiano, I spoke to him and what I said to him, I repeat here: whatever happens, Cristiano Ronaldo will never cease to be the greatest symbol of our national team, our football and our country, thanks to what he achieved not only in Portugal but all over the world," Fernandes said.

“There is no division in the national team. We are one team and will remain one, despite the noise from the outside. The most important thing is that this story ends well for both sides. We are not involved in this conflict at all. ... But I ask that the country does not divide, does not choose sides and respect all participants.

Other national team players chose not to speak publicly about the conflict. In particular, Renato Veiga acknowledged the close relationship with Ronaldo, but refused to discuss the story. Rafael Leau called Ronaldo the idol of his childhood, but said that he does not consider disagreements to be a subject of discussion for other players.

It is noteworthy that not a single player of the national team of Portugal has likened the post of Ronaldo on Instagram (owned by Meta, recognized as extremist and banned in Russia), where he explains this scandalous situation.

Who criticized Ronaldo

Legendary Swedish footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic said it was time for the 41-year-old Ronaldo to realise he was "not young anymore." “You should not destroy your own heritage because of your ego. To leave Portugal without even talking to our teammates is disrespectful. ... I used to be young, too. I played and then finished my career. Even lions know when the hunt is over, Ibrahimovic said.

Former Portugal midfielder Manishe said many players in the national team feel discomfort and dissatisfaction with the constant attention to Ronaldo. Because the theme of Ronaldo comes up even after the team's wins (the Portuguese have won all the last three Nations League matches without their captain). — RBC), — he said in a comment to the Portuguese media platform Cabine Sport.

Manishe noted that Portugal "is stuck with a player who does not want anyone else to be a star but himself," but Argentina has successfully ended the era of dependence on Lionel Messi: 39-year-old Messi this week played his farewell match for Argentina against Benin team (3-0).

Former Spanish goalkeeper Santiago Cañisares in a conversation with the host of the sports radio show El Partidazo de COPE said that for the first time it is difficult for him to justify the actions of Ronaldo. He believes that the root of the problem lies in the nature of the relationship between the player and the national team, as well as in the lack of mutual respect. Cañisares acknowledged that agreements between coaches and players could change and promises not kept. But that doesn't justify the captain's actions: "You can never leave like this in your life because you're no more important than the national team.".

Who condemned Jesus

One of the most notable defenders of the footballer was the British TV presenter Piers Morgan, whom Ronaldo gave a large interview in 2022. “What an arrogant idiot he is... Jesos was never good enough to play for Portugal and now enjoys humiliating the country's greatest player, Morgan wrote on his page in X.

The president of the regional government of Madeira, Ronaldo's home island, Miguel Albuquerque, believes that the striker should be treated with special respect, taking into account his services to the country. “We like to cultivate a certain amount of envy and resentment towards those who succeed. We will never have a man as big as him. He served the country, promoted it, and therefore cannot be treated like an ordinary person, Albuquerque said.

Former Barcelona and Bayern midfielder Arturo Vidal called the situation a disgrace. "A player like Cristiano, who is in the top four players in history, should not leave the national team like this - it's very ugly," the Chilean said on his Twitch channel.

According to Vidal, the incident “puts the coach in a very bad light.” Ronaldo has the right to do what he sees fit because he has taken Portugal to a new level.

Former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand has called for respect for Ronaldo amid his achievements. “Where was Portugal before Ronaldo? What did she even achieve? Did she even go to major tournaments? Not to mention winning something, Ferdinand wrote on his page in X.

Arsenal legend and 1998 world champion Emmanuel Petit noted Ronaldo's unique status, "which rarely exists in the world of football," and stressed that it must be respected. Petit believes it was the coach and the federation who put Ronaldo in the position that led to the conflict. A lot of people thought he was going to retire, but he was later asked to come back and put on the bench. In this whole situation, both are responsible, he said on the Rothen s'enflamme RMC Sport show.

Finland head coach Jakob Friis at a press conference before the Nations League match with Albania got into an awkward situation. Announcing the squad, the specialist joked that "none of the players flew off in a private plane." “So everybody's ready. I have all the players I can choose from, the Dane said, without getting a reaction from reporters. At the end of the press conference, Friis again addressed the audience: “Did you not understand jokingly at the beginning?” What's the Finnish reaction? It's like nothing's happening! I look like an idiot now

And on October 2, billboards appeared in Portugal with words of support for Ronaldo and criticism of Jesus. Entrepreneur Fernando Maya paid for their accommodation in Lisbon and in the suburbs near the training center of the national team Cidade do Futebol. And on the same day, they began to be removed.

Maya said he posted the posters on his behalf and paid for them himself: the five-billboard action cost him about €1,900. The entrepreneur admitted that he did not request permission to accommodate some. “If there is a fine, I am here to pay it. No problem. This is my personal decision, everyone knows where to find me and how to notify me. I find it completely surreal if a fine is issued for it, but it is good: if I have to, I will pay, Maya told Rádio Observador. Now everyone forgets what Portugal was like 20 years ago and what it became with Ronaldo. Whether he should have finished in 2018 or left a year or two ago, you can’t just erase everything he’s done in the last 20 years.