Jorge Jesus has broken his silence on Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from the Portugal national team, insisting that he has no regrets over the decisions he made regarding the legendary forward.
The Portuguese coach said he prioritised the interests of his team and the national side, maintaining that his decisions had nothing to do with Ronaldo’s eventual decision to end his international career.
Speaking about Ronaldo’s departure, Jesus said he had no prior knowledge of the forward’s decision and only became aware of it after watching the video announcing his exit.
“I DON’T KNOW. You should ask him,” Jesus said when asked about Ronaldo’s retirement.
The former coach, who worked with Ronaldo for a year at club level, described their time together as a positive experience, recalling that they enjoyed a successful spell and won a title together.
“What I know for sure is that Cristiano and I worked together for a year. It was a happy time, and we won the title with the club we were at.”
Jesus further defended his decisions, stressing that his responsibility as a coach was to put the collective interest ahead of individual considerations.
“I wouldn’t change absolutely nothing. I made a decision as a coach, putting the interests of my team and the Portuguese national team first,” he stated.
He also dismissed suggestions that his actions contributed to Ronaldo’s departure, insisting that he was not responsible for what transpired.
“I’m convinced that I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING to cause what happened.”
According to Jesus, he had expected Ronaldo to continue representing Portugal and had even considered including him in the squad as part of the team’s Nations League plans.
“Of course I thought he would come back, of course I thought about calling him up, but I have to respect his decision. He decided that it was time to leave the national team. Sooner or later, it had to happen.”
The coach added that he had neither frustration nor resentment towards the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, explaining that his consideration of recalling Ronaldo was based on his belief that the striker would remain available for the national team.
Jesus also dismissed claims of any prior communication with Ronaldo regarding the decision, maintaining that he learnt about it in the same way as the general public.
“I found out about his decision just like everyone else, through his video. I had NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE of anything.”