Portugal coach Jorge Jesus says he learned of Ronaldo's international retirement publicly
Jorge Jesus says Cristiano Ronaldo gave him no prior notice of his international retirement, while the PFF president pledges a tribute to Portugal's record scorer.
Portugal coach Jorge Jesus said he learned of Cristiano Ronaldo's retirement from international football at the same time as the public, after the 41-year-old announced the decision in an Instagram video on Thursday. Speaking at a news conference on Friday, a day before he was due to name his squad for this month's Nations League fixtures, Jesus said Ronaldo had not contacted him in advance. "I found out when we all did," he said, adding that the Al-Nassr forward had been in his plans because he was playing and scoring.
Ronaldo's availability had followed a 30-day suspension from international duty that did not cover any national team matches. He had left the Portugal camp in September after being told he would not start the Nations League game against Denmark four days later. Ronaldo later said Jesus had "broken his word," while accepting he deserved to be punished for leaving early and stating at the time that he would not retire from international football.
Jesus grew visibly annoyed as journalists pressed him on that dispute. He insisted his decisions were made with the team in mind and that he was at peace with them, saying he had always defended what was best for the team.
Ronaldo's last international appearance came in a 1-0 win over Wales in Lisbon, three days before he was an unused substitute against Norway on 27 September. He retires with 146 goals from 234 games for Portugal, both men's world records, since debuting in 2003, and was part of the country's Euro 2016-winning side.
Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca said no tribute would ever be enough to thank Ronaldo for his contribution to Portuguese football and the country. He said the best way to honour him was to celebrate his ambition and drive to win, closing with a message thanking the captain and calling Portugal his home.
Jesus said he had not contacted Ronaldo since the announcement. The episode follows a public disagreement over selection that preceded the forward's decision to end his international career.
Image: Getty Images / BBC Sport
