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Jorge Jesus refuses to back down amid Cristiano Ronaldo fiasco, says ‘will not hide’: ‘Rules are the same for everyone’
After the Denmark, Jorge Jesus stated he had done nothing wrong and would fully explain the situation after the next game.
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The drama in the Portugal team has hit the roof, with Cristiano Ronaldo leaving the camp before the Norway clash. Coach Jorge Jesus is still sticking to his plans, which are working well for him. In Ronaldo's absence and amid all the drama, Portugal beat Denmark 4-2 in emphatic fashion, looked in good rhythm, and had Bruno Fernandes lead the side with two assists and four different goal scorers, making things look strong.
Following Ronaldo’s departure from the camp, Jesus faced scrutiny due to various rumours. After the match, the 72-year-old stated he had done nothing wrong and would fully explain the situation after the next game.
“I will explain everything after the last game. I have many years in football and I know that I did nothing that should have caused things to go differently.”
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“After the Norway game, we will talk about this subject. I will not HIDE or run away from it," Jesus told the reporters after the Denmark clash.
The former Al-Nassr coach didn't shy away from praising Ronaldo by calling him an icon.
“Nobody can take away what Cristiano represents. He’s an icon and that’s not in question," he added.
Meanwhile, AC Milan striker Goncalo Ramos scored Portugal's winner in Norway on Sunday after being preferred to Ronaldo in attack, and here he set up Joao Cancelo for Portugal's early opener before getting their second goal on 25 minutes. Joao Felix and Vitinha were the other goal scorers, while Bruno Fernandes ran the midfield with two assists.
When the press conference was dominated by the Ronaldo fiasco, Jesus made sure everyone focused on the scoreline, with Portugal producing an emphatic show to win 4-2.
"This Portugal team scored four goals and put in a performance which, in my opinion, was of a very high standard," he said.
"Of course, this is more important than anything else that has happened. I still think exactly the same way: there are players with status. That much is crystal clear. But I'll say it again: the rules are the same for everyone," he added.
Portugal players all focused amid Ronaldo controversy
The Portuguese players were also asked about the Ronaldo situation after the win, but they kept their mouths shut. PSG midfield star Vitinha suggested that players are not getting involved in the situation, which is marking.
“We try to remain out of that story. We focused on the game, and it was an incredible performance," Vitinha said when asked about the Ronaldo case.
Ramos, who led the attacking deparment had the similar sort of views as he said," “Ronaldo situation? That story did not influence us. We want to win every game. This is what we did”.
