Jorge Jesus says Cristiano Ronaldo can return to Portugal squad if he wants

Portugal coach Jorge Jesus has left the door open for Cristiano Ronaldo to return to the national team, saying the veteran must decide his future before the next call-up. Ronaldo had left camp after being left on the bench against Norway.

New Delhi: Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus has said that if Cristiano Ronaldo wants, he can still return to the national setup, adding that Ronaldo has to “decide his life before the next call-up.”

The 41-year-old veteran left international camp just hours after coach Jorge Jesus publicly addressed their growing disagreement over the captain’s role. After leaving the camp he wrote on social media, “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.”

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Addressing the veteran’s international future after Portugal beat Norway 2-1 at the Estadio do Dragao to enter Nations League quarterfinals, Jesus said, “I don’t know what’s going to happen. For me, everything is open. Cris has to decide his life before the next call-up.

“If he wants to be in the national team and he’s playing, why not? There’s no resentment, because this was a misunderstanding. I think it’s easy to resolve. When, I don’t know. The game is over and now we’ll see how things will turn out.”

Ronaldo started in the 1-0 victory over Wales in the opening match of the Nations League, but in the subsequent game against Norway, he was named as a substitute and informed that he might or might not be brought on. He appeared to be frustrated when he was asked to warm up during the second half, only to remain on the bench and not be substituted into the game.

It was the first time the ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid forward had been an unused substitute for his country in a competitive game since 2008.

After Ronaldo’s departure, Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes said that Ronaldo has to say goodbye in style. Jesus was asked if he agreed with the same; he replied, “One hundred percent. I completely agree with what Bruno Fernandes said, because that was also my idea.”

He added, “We’re talking about several things. One of the things I told Cris was that he couldn’t end up losing and crying at the World Cup. He had to finish playing for the national team, and that’s why he played the first game. It happened to be at Alvalade. He was supposed to play here today, but, given what happened, everything was different. That practically says it all.

“Now, this has nothing to do with… I’m the coach; I call up whoever I want. I don’t ask anyone who I want to call up or who will play. As a coach, there are several non-negotiable moments, and therefore, I can’t be clearer than this.”