The coach of the Portuguese national team, Jorge Jesus, explained the reasons for excluding the legend Cristiano Ronaldo from the starting lineup and the course of the match that brought his country together with its Norwegian host, on Sunday evening, at the Olivall Stadium in the capital, Oslo, in the second round of the European Nations League, which ended with Portugal winning by two goals to one.
Jesus compensated for Ronaldo’s absence by introducing striker Gonzalo Ramos in the attacking line alongside Joao Felix, and the duo succeeded in scoring both goals for the Portuguese national team.
In press statements he made after the match, Jesus said: “I saw that the course of the match required something different, and it was not the right moment to include him,” adding: “There are other matches in which he can help us a lot, as he is an experienced player.”
The coach had revealed before the start of the confrontation, in statements reported by the newspaper “Mundo Deportivo”, the reasons for the decision to keep Ronaldo out of the main roster, saying: “Today is the third day. Ronaldo played approximately 70 minutes in the Wales match, and I felt that he could not participate starting in two consecutive matches today.”
Jesus concluded by saying: “We want Ronaldo in these four matches, even if it is only for a few minutes, but we want him on the field.”
