Cristiano Ronaldo breaks silence with bombshell statement after walking out on Portugal squad

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Cristiano Ronaldo has accused Portugal coach Jorge Jesus of going back on his word twice, stating that a broken promise to publicly explain his absence against Norway drove him from the squad, though he insisted he remained available following any sanction.

In a detailed statement, the 41-year-old outlined his account of the dispute that triggered his exit from Copenhagen prior to Portugal’s Nations League match against Denmark last week.

Ronaldo said Jesus had accepted a strategy for the forward to skip the Norway and Denmark games to manage his fitness.

However, on the day of the Norway fixture, the coach instructed him to play 30 minutes.

“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.”

Portugal’s captain ⁠and all-time leading scorer said a subsequent meeting with Jesus, attended by his club ​side ⁠Al Nassr’s sporting director Simao Coutinho, ‌produced an agreement for the coach to clarify events at his next press conference.

According to Ronaldo, an eight-point document was prepared saying he had never demanded playing time, had respected Jesus’ decisions and that the coach asking him to warm up without bringing him on had been a mistake.

Ronaldo said the agreed notes did not require Jesus to apologise to him but said the coach’s public remarks bore no resemblance to 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 statement provided Ronaldo’s account but on Sunday, after Portugal’s win over Norway, Jesus denied he had made any agreement with the player but left the door open for his return.

The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Ronaldo’s statement.

Ronaldo apologised for failing to greet supporters after the Norway match and ​for leaving his team mates, accepting that his captaincy made his conduct ‌more serious.

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

Despite the ⁠rupture, Ronaldo said he was not limiting his international ambitions to a farewell appearance.

“If I’m physically fit, playing for my club, scoring goals, I hope after serving whatever suspension is imposed on me, I’ll be available, as I’ve always been until now, to compete and win for our national team,” he added.