Madeira leader backs Cristiano Ronaldo after Jorge Jesus dispute

A senior Madeira official has defended Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portugal captain left the national team’s camp in Copenhagen following an unprecedented dispute with manager Jorge Jesus.

Miguel Albuquerque, president of the regional government of Madeira, Ronaldo’s birthplace, publicly supported the forward during a civic event in the municipality of Camara de Lobos on Wednesday.

Albuquerque said Ronaldo had become the target of “petty issues and nonsense”, according to Portuguese newspaper A Bola.

“We here in Madeira support Ronaldo,” Albuquerque said, highlighting the player’s worldwide influence and contribution to Portugal.

“He is the most famous Portuguese person in the world. Ronaldo is a player who promoted Portugal and enhanced its standing throughout a career lasting more than 25 years.

“He is one of the Portuguese people who have brought the greatest honour to Portugal. During all these years he was the best player in the world, won everything there was to win and made an enormous contribution to the Portugal national team.”

‘Nobody has the patience’

Ronaldo left Portugal’s training camp in Denmark earlier than expected after his disagreement with Jorge Jesus, who did not select him for the team’s most recent match against Norway.

The manager also said Ronaldo would not play against Denmark on Thursday in the Nations League.

Albuquerque criticised those he believed had pushed Ronaldo into taking that decision.

“They must have annoyed him, and he did the right thing,” he said. “Nobody has the patience to deal with these petty matters and this nonsense aimed at diminishing what he has achieved and who he is.”

The regional government president acknowledged that Ronaldo “is not always right”, but said the forward’s legacy would remain secure once the immediate controversy had passed.

“The important thing at this moment is for Ronaldo to remain what he has always been: a top-class player and a Portuguese man who represented and presented the country abroad in a way nobody else has done,” Albuquerque said.

He added that Ronaldo’s reputation would outlast the current dispute and those involved in it.

“After 30 years, nobody will know who the manager was. Nobody will know who was in charge of the Portugal national team, and nobody will know who was commentating on football,” he said.

“But everyone, after 30, 40 and 50 years, will know who Ronaldo is. That is the difference between greatness and mediocrity.”