Portuguese national team captain Cristiano Ronaldo and his coach Ruben Jesus closed the page on the temporary dispute between them, following a positive meeting held yesterday evening, Tuesday, at the national team’s residence in the Swedish city of Malmo, according to what was confirmed by Portuguese media outlets, most notably the “RTP” network and the “Observador” newspaper.
This development came to put an end to the controversy that arose after the match between Portugal and Norway, which ended with the victory of the Portuguese national team (2-1), as that confrontation witnessed Ronaldo sitting on the bench throughout the match without participating, in a precedent that is the first of its kind in many years for the “Seleção” star in an official match, despite the coach informing him in advance not to start with the possibility of being brought on.
Despite performing the warm-up, coach Jesus decided not to use his services, stating after the match that the course of the match and the team’s performance did not require a change in the attacking line, a decision that resulted in Ronaldo leaving the field immediately after the final whistle, neglecting to greet the fans with his teammates, which sparked widespread interest in the local press.
Speculation of a crisis between the two parties escalated the day after the match, following the absence of the national team captain from the group training session, but the Portuguese Federation was quick to clarify the matter, indicating that Ronaldo had undergone individual training in the fitness room at the hotel headquarters, due to the lack of equipment for his training program on the field, denying the existence of any announced injury.
The “RTP” and “Observador” reports concluded by indicating that the renewed communication between Ronaldo and Jesus on Tuesday evening had contributed to turning the page on the misunderstanding, amid assurances that the atmosphere had become calmer and more stable within the Portuguese camp ahead of the upcoming tournament.
