It is a very harsh statement that was published by Cristiano Ronaldo, who for the first time reacts after the issue that involved him with Portugal. He left the national team after an argument with Jorge Jesus, who excluded him from the Nations League match against Norway, causing a storm of controversy that continues to be discussed. Now he breaks his silence by telling his version of events, starting from the end of the last World Cup and revealing the agreement he had made with the new coach, who is accused of having twice gone back on his word.
In the long letter to the fans, he also reports point by point the plan that was proposed to him and that was later overturned: in it, Jorge Jesus would compare him to Maradona and Pelé and apologize for not having done so against Norway last September 27, despite having announced that he would enter for 30 minutes. There will certainly be a punishment for the Portuguese, who nevertheless rules out withdrawing from Portugal and also announces that there will be some farewell matches to say goodbye from the pitch to those who have always supported him.
The truth about CR7
The published statement is very long and tells the whole story: "As I promised, I decided to tell, in the first person and directly, the events that characterized the last gathering of the National Team."
Cristiano Ronaldo reveals that the federation insisted that he stay and that he himself had given his approval for Jorge Jesus to be on the bench. The coach had met him in August to explain how he intended to manage him: "He proposed to me the possibility of not going to Norway and Denmark, playing the first and last match in Portugal". The Portuguese was initially against it, but then accepted: "I played the match in Alvalade and, even though I was substituted, I didn't cause any problems. I myself put the captain's armband on Bruno Fernandes, far from imagining that this could be my last gesture as a player and captain of the national team".
At that point, Jesus asked him to play 30 minutes with Norway. He warmed up, but never entered the field: “The coach withdrew his word. After 48 hours we had a conversation. It was a deep moment, very direct, without any kind of filter”. In that conversation, several points were agreed upon to try to return the situation to normal, starting with the coach’s apology, who was supposed to tell this truth in the press conference in front of journalists. The coach did not apologize and did not keep the agreement.
The agreement with Jorge Jesus
The most curious part of the entire letter is precisely the points agreed upon with the coach in the presence of other witnesses. Jorge Jesus took full responsibility, committing to apologize and also thanking Cristiano Ronaldo for believing in him.
The sixth point, perhaps the most surreal, says: "I made a mistake by warming up someone of the caliber of Pelé or Maradona and then not activating him in the match. If it were today, I would not have done it". He was supposed to say it publicly at the press conference, but it didn't happen at all: "A short document was drafted, which I personally approved. I heard expressions and aggressiveness that I do not consider justified, an attitude of the 'I want, I can and I command' type, which the day before I had never encountered, not even remotely, privately. It was the second time that he had not kept his word".
Some of Jorge Jesus' notes that CR7 would have signed
At that point, Cristiano Ronaldo left the group and therefore apologized to his teammates and also to the fans. He expects a suspension for his gesture, but after suffering it, he intends to return to play with Portugal to say goodbye to the public:
"When I think about the national team, what I really think about is competing. That's what I thought the day I received the news of my father's death. I was in training with our national team and I decided to stay there until the end of the match the next day. I did for the country what I would never do for any club. Therefore, if I am physically well, playing for my club, with the goals that I hope to score, after having served the suspension that may be applied to me, I will be available, as I have always been until now, to compete and win for our national team. This is, believe me, the purest truth". The story will certainly not end after this statement.
