A day after Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement from the Portugal national team, Jorge Jesus faced the question that hung over the Portuguese camp: would he have done anything differently? The head coach answered in his first press conference since the announcement, held on Friday at the Cidade do Futebol, where he also revealed his squad for Portugal’s final two Nations League group games.
Asked if he would change anything about how he handled the situation with Ronaldo, Jesus left no room for doubt. “I wouldn’t change anything, absolutely nothing. I made a decision as a coach, putting the interests of my team and the Portuguese national team first,” he said. He added that he is “convinced” he did not do anything to cause what happened, and described himself as “perfectly calm” about his decision.
The coach also explained how he experienced the news. Jesus said he learned of Ronaldo’s decision at the same time as everyone, following the video and statement the forward published, and that until then he had no knowledge of his intention to leave.
He even revealed that Ronaldo was among the players he was considering for the squad. “If I just said I was thinking of calling him up, it’s because I believed Cristiano Ronaldo would continue with this Nations League project. There are no hard feelings,” Jesus explained. He did acknowledge, however, that the dispute between the two may have rushed things.
Jesus closes the chapter and looks ahead
Jesus had no interest in letting the Ronaldo debate take over the rest of the week. After answering several questions about the forward’s departure, the coach tried to close the subject and turn the page toward what comes next. “This subject has already been addressed and I’m not going to talk about it again. That topic is closed,” he said, while insisting that he must respect Ronaldo’s decision.
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His message was also directed at the squad. Jesus said it is time to talk about the group and the new players, and noted that the captain’s armband will go to one of the team’s most experienced players: Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo and Ruben Neves, the five with the most appearances, according to the coach.
With that in mind, the coach’s focus shifts to a squad that faces Denmark on Nov. 14 in Braga and Wales on Nov. 17, and to a new era without the player who defined the national team for 23 years.
Portugal’s squad for UEFA Nations League games
Jesus announced a 28-player squad for the final two group games, with Ronaldo’s absence being the biggest change.
- Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto), Rui Silva (Sporting), Samuel Soares (Benfica).
- Defenders: Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Alberto Costa (Porto), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Tomas Araujo (Benfica), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), Antonio Silva (Bournemouth), Joao Cancelo (Barcelona), Nuno Tavares (Lazio).
- Midfielders: Joao Palhinha (Benfica), Ruben Neves (Al-Hilal), Mateus Fernandes (Tottenham), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain), Joao Neves (Paris Saint-Germain), Bernardo Silva (Real Madrid), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Francisco Trincao (Al-Ahli), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United).
- Forwards: Carlos Forbs (Club Brugge), Joao Felix (Al-Nassr), Rafael Leao (Galatasaray), Geovany Quenda (Chelsea), Rodrigo Mora (Roma), Goncalo Ramos (AC Milan), Fabio Silva (Borussia Dortmund), Gustavo Varela (Monza).
