Portugal put the controversy surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure to one side as they edged Denmark 4-2 in the UEFA Nations League on Thursday.
His team showed no signs of being distracted by the furore caused by the 41-year-old’s walk-out after Jesus announced Ronaldo would not start the match against Denmark. Portugal’s record goalscorer had already spent all of Sunday’s 2-1 Nations League win in Norway on the bench, having captained the side in the 1-0 home victory over Wales last Thursday. “In due course, I will tell the truth to all the Portuguese people about my reasons for leaving the national team, to which I have always been dedicated.
With the pre-match build-up dominated by five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo’s sudden departure from the team’s training camp on Wednesday, coach Jorge Jesus said before kick-off that he just wanted his side “to focus on the match”. “Following the national team coach’s press conference, and after having a conversation with the Portuguese Football Federation president, I decided to leave the national team’s training camp,” Ronaldo wrote on Instagram on Wednesday. Jesus, himself, said Thursday: “After , we’ll definitely have time to talk about” the situation.
