Ronaldo's eight-point statement he says Jorge Jesus ignored before his Portugal exit
Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed the eight-point statement he says Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus was supposed to read before their relationship collapsed, publishing the full text after walking out of the national team camp during the October international break.
The row traces back to Portugal's September 27 game against Norway. Ronaldo says Jesus — who previously coached him at Al-Nassr — had told him he would sit that one out, then reversed course and said he would bring him on for the final 30 minutes. In the end the 41-year-old stayed on the bench despite warming up through the second half.
After an emergency meeting with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca, Jesus prepared a document to clarify things to the media. Ronaldo claims Jesus then delivered a completely different version in his press conference. Told he would not start the next game against Denmark, Ronaldo left camp and will reportedly not play for Portugal again until Jesus leaves the job.
What the eight points said
I made a mistake by putting someone of the stature of Pele or Maradona on to warm up and then not putting him in the game.
That line is point six of the statement Ronaldo now says he had already validated. The draft was meant to downplay the situation and repair the relationship, after which Ronaldo would have been available for the final two games of the break. It praised him as "exemplary, loyal and professional," acknowledged the plan had been accepted, and insisted Jesus wanted him "a lot."
Point eight addressed Ronaldo not greeting fans, calling it "a moment of frustration that erases nothing" and adding: "When we are not happy we react." Ronaldo says Jesus went off script instead, and he now considers the relationship broken beyond repair — leaving his international future in doubt after 234 appearances for Portugal.