Portugal’s build-up to Denmark has been overtaken by uncertainty around Cristiano Ronaldo after reports that the forward did not join his team-mates for training at Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium and left the ground in a Portuguese federation van.
A tense turn before Denmark
The development came shortly after Portugal coach Jorge Jesus had sought to close down talk of a rift before the Nations League third-matchday fixture in Copenhagen. Reports indicated that Ronaldo could even depart the national-team camp in the coming hours.
Jesus had opened his media conference by insisting that Portugal’s focus had to remain on the task in Denmark and their wider aim of winning the Nations League.
- He described Denmark as a major opponent deserving respect.
- He stressed that he was responsible for a squad of 23 players, rather than one individual.
- He attempted to limit questions concerning Ronaldo, saying the captain was not the principal reason for the press conference.
Jesus says Ronaldo accepted the plan
The Portugal manager rejected the suggestion that Ronaldo had refused to train. He said he had agreed an individual programme with the 40-year-old, similar to one arranged for Bruno Fernandes, and had told Ronaldo that he would not start against either Norway or Denmark.
Jesus pointed to his previous year working with Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia, saying he knew the player’s physical condition closely. In periods with matches every three days, he said, Ronaldo seldom played, while he also normally avoids full training on the first and second days after a match.
According to Jesus, Ronaldo had accepted the arrangement and made clear that he would stay with the group whether selected to play, named among the substitutes or otherwise used as the coach saw fit.
“He rejected nothing,” Jesus said. “There is no problem here.”
The coach explained that while Ronaldo had been expected not to feature in the first two games, he could still have been required late in a match. He said his decisions from the bench would be dictated by the course of the game, rather than by a pre-set substitution plan.
Equal rules, with management of workloads
Jesus said a player’s standing did not create different rights within the squad. He argued that experience and past knowledge of an individual could influence the care taken before a game, but that every final decision had to serve the team.
He compared Ronaldo’s situation with that of Fernandes, who had suffered an injury after the Wales match. Jesus said he had spoken frankly with Fernandes, concluded that he was not at his usual level and decided he would miss the next game before returning against Denmark if fit.
- Ronaldo completed gym work, pitch mobility exercises and strengthening work at the hotel, Jesus said.
- Francisco Conceição also did not train because of injury.
- João Félix was held back as Portugal sought to reduce fatigue, with his condition to be assessed the following day.
- Jesus said Ronaldo was due to train on the fourth day of the camp.
“He did not refuse to train,” the coach said. “That is impossible. It is not Cristiano.”
Jesus added that no Portugal international would simply refuse to train unless he wished to leave and had other intentions, while insisting that no such issue existed in Ronaldo’s case.
The unused warm-up and the coach’s authority
Jesus also addressed the episode in which Ronaldo warmed up but did not enter the match. He said he had initially thought the forward might be needed and therefore sent him to prepare, only for the match to develop in a way that made a substitution unnecessary.
He accepted that a player would be unhappy after warming up for 20 or 30 minutes without being used, particularly a figure of Ronaldo’s stature. But he maintained there had been no incident and no promise that Ronaldo would receive 30 minutes against Denmark.
“If I need you for 30 minutes, you will play; if I do not, you will not,” Jesus said. “No player will make me change my mind — not him, not anyone in football, not any president.”
The coach said Portugal’s president had spoken with the camp after hearing discussion in Portugal, but insisted that any supposed issue had already been resolved after dinner. The subsequent report from Parken, however, left the situation surrounding Ronaldo’s involvement ahead of Denmark unresolved.
