Ronaldo apologises to Portugal teammates, accuses Jesus of broken promises

Cristiano Ronaldo has apologised for walking out of Portugal’s training camp but accused head coach Jorge Jesus of twice breaking promises during the Nations League window.

According to Al Jazeera, Ronaldo said Jesus agreed he would miss the Norway and Denmark matches to manage his fitness, but later told him he would play 30 minutes against Norway.

“Everyone knows the rest. I warmed up from halftime onwards, watched the minutes tick by and wasn’t called on,” Ronaldo said.

“The manager had broken his word to me.”

Ronaldo said they subsequently agreed Jesus would publicly clarify events, but claimed the coach’s comments did not reflect their private discussion.

“It was the second time he had broken his word to me,” Ronaldo said. “I decided to leave the training camp without waiting for any further broken promises.”

The 41-year-old nevertheless accepted responsibility for leaving camp and apologised to teammates and supporters.

“The consequences of my actions must be assessed and punished by the Portuguese Football Federation,” he said.

Jesus denied making an agreement with Ronaldo but left the door open for his return. Ronaldo also confirmed he remains available for Portugal after serving any punishment.