Jesus declines further comment on Ronaldo dispute

Portugal coach Jorge Jesus said Wednesday, October 7, that he had read Cristiano Ronaldo’s public account of their dispute but would make no further comment. The Portuguese Football Federation had not announced a disciplinary decision over Ronaldo’s departure from the national team camp, and the forward’s status for Portugal’s November matches remained unsettled. Ronaldo left camp before Portugal’s match against Denmark after being an unused substitute against Norway. In his statement, he said Jesus had told him he would play about 30 minutes against Norway. Ronaldo said he warmed up but was not brought on. Ronaldo also said he and Jesus had agreed the coach would explain the playing-time situation publicly, but that Jesus did not follow through. Those accounts of their private discussions come from Ronaldo; Jesus’s brief response on Wednesday did not address the allegations. In an earlier account reported by one source, Jesus denied that an agreement for a public explanation had been reached. Jesus told reporters he had read Ronaldo’s statement and was going to the Federation headquarters to work and think about the national team. He said he had nothing more to add.