Bruno Fernandes opens up about his chat with Cristiano Ronaldo after a disagreement with Portugal’s coach
Bruno Fernandes recently shared some inside info about a chat he had with Cristiano Ronaldo after Ronaldo left Portugal’s training camp following a disagreement with the team’s coach, Jorge Jesus.
Even though Ronaldo was captain when Portugal beat Wales 1-0 on September 24, Jesus didn’t play him in their 2-1 win over Norway three days later. This led to a meeting between Ronaldo, the Portuguese Football Federation, and Jesus. After that, Ronaldo didn’t join the team for training on September 28 and 29.
The meeting was supposed to clear things up, but Ronaldo still decided to leave the squad. Jesus said it wasn’t the right time for Ronaldo to play and that he had already told him he wouldn’t be playing against Norway or Denmark. Jesus explained that with games every three days, Ronaldo’s playing time would be limited because of his physical condition.
Fernandes later revealed he talked to Ronaldo about all this. He said, “I told Cristiano that he is and will always be the greatest icon of our national team and country. Our team is united, not divided. Problems should be solved inside the team and work out well for everyone.”
Fernandes added that the country shouldn’t get split over the situation. “We should respect all sides and stay united. Cristiano will always be the biggest star of our football and the world game.”
Ronaldo’s choice to leave has raised questions about his future with the national team, even though he plans to keep playing until after the 2026 World Cup. Other players like Nuno Mendes and Goncalo Ramos have avoided talking about the issue, and Renato Veiga said he was told not to discuss Ronaldo.
Ronaldo himself posted on social media on September 30, saying he left the training camp after talking with the Portuguese Football Federation president. He promised to explain the real reasons later and wished his teammates and Portugal good luck.
The Portuguese Football Federation also released a statement confirming Ronaldo left the camp, but the team will continue preparing for upcoming matches with the remaining 24 players. They are focused on their goals and ready for their next game against Norway on October 4 in Porto.