In the long Portuguese football orbit that stretches from Riyadh to Lisbon, Cristiano Ronaldo’s dispute with Jorge Jesus has drawn another prominent voice: Romário. The former Brazil and Barcelona forward has backed Ronaldo’s response after the Portugal captain said he felt betrayed by his coach.
Key takeaways
- Romário, now 60, said he would have reacted as Ronaldo did if a coach had failed to keep a promise.
- The Brazilian added that he would have confronted Jorge Jesus directly before leaving.
- Ronaldo made his feelings public in a social-media statement on Tuesday 6.
- Portugal’s captain has said he remains available to return to the national team.
- Portugal are due to host Denmark in the Nations League on 11 November.
Romário backs Ronaldo’s stance
Speaking on the Charla Podcast, Romário took a clear position on the rift between the player and Jorge Jesus. He described Ronaldo as a straightforward figure and said the issue, in his view, stemmed from a commitment that the coach had not honoured.
“Cristiano is very direct and, as he sees it, Jorge Jesus did not keep his word,” Romário said. “That is why he felt disrespected and left. I would have done the same.”
The 1994 World Cup winner went further, saying that he would have told the coach exactly what he thought before departing. Romário’s intervention adds to the public debate around an episode that has divided opinion between those sympathetic to Ronaldo and those siding with the manager.
A Portugal decision still to come
The disagreement remains unresolved following Ronaldo’s statement on Tuesday 6, in which the former Real Madrid forward said he had been betrayed by Jorge Jesus.
Ronaldo has nevertheless indicated that he is willing to rejoin Portugal duty. Whether that willingness leads to his appearance in the next Nations League fixture remains to be seen, with Denmark scheduled to visit Portugal on 11 November.
