Portugal Coach Should Apologise To Ronaldo — Man United Legend

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has warned Portugal coach Jorge Jesus to apologise to Cristiano Ronaldo or risk losing his job.

Ferdinand said this in a podcast posted on his X, following ongoing dispute between Ronaldo and the new Portugal boss, which saw the 41-year-old storm out of the national team camp last week.

“The coach has to come out and apologize… otherwise, he’s eventually going to get sacked. He has to say publicly, ‘Listen, I got this situation wrong,’” Ferdinand said.

The row started during Portugal’s 2-1 Nations League win over Norway, when Jesus sent Ronaldo to warm up for about 30 minutes in the second half but never brought him on.

Ronaldo reportedly felt humiliated and left the camp after a meeting with Jesus and Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença.

Also Read: Ronaldo Likes Controversial Instagram Post Slamming Portugal Teammates

Jesus has refused to back down. Speaking after the Norway game, he snapped:”I don’t apologise to anyone. The problem that started all of this was that the player was warming up. I made the decision [not to bring him on]. What do I have to apologise for?”

He added: “I am the manager, and I call up whomever I want. I do not consult anyone about the players I wish to select or who will play.”

FPF president Proença has tried to calm tensions, describing Ronaldo as “the greatest player in history” and the row as a misunderstanding to be settled internally.

Jorge Jesus, 72, has left the door open for a return, saying “For me Cris will be in the next squad if he is playing for Al-Nassr and he wants to return”, but Ronaldo said he will “tell all the Portuguese the truth” in due time.

Portugal have already qualified for the Nations League quarter-finals and face Denmark in November.

James Agberebi is a sports content creator and analyst with a passion for football and other sports. He writes sports news, match reports, and analysis to keep fans informed about the latest developments in the sporting world. James has covered international matches involving both Nigeria’s men’s and women’s national teams. His experience covering Nigerian football gives him a good understanding of the game and the teams he writes about. Through his work with Complete Sports, James shares sports updates, match coverage, and analysis with readers in Nigeria and around the world.