Portugal FA seeks to repair Ronaldo relationship with Jorge Jesus after squad departure

The Portuguese Football Federation is working to resolve the dispute between captain Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal manager Jorge Jesus, with the aim of preventing the forward’s international career from ending in controversial circumstances.

Ronaldo left Portugal’s training camp in Denmark on Wednesday, one day before the team’s UEFA Nations League Group D meeting with Denmark in the third round of the competition.

According to Spanish newspaper Marca, officials from the Portuguese federation are expected to focus on repairing relations between Ronaldo and the national team over the coming days.

The federation wants to restore the relationship to its previous state and believes Ronaldo should be given an ending that reflects his contribution to Portugal throughout his international career.

The dispute began during Portugal’s second Group D match, a 2-1 victory over Norway, in which Ronaldo did not play. The captain also failed to take part in Portugal’s most recent training sessions.

Jesus then criticised Ronaldo during his pre-match news conference ahead of the fixture against Denmark. After that intervention, Ronaldo left the camp following an agreement with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation.

Portuguese newspaper O Jogo reported that Ronaldo had decided not to represent Portugal again and was instead considering international retirement.

The 234-time international has scored 146 goals for Portugal and provided 45 assists. He has won the European Championship once and the UEFA Nations League twice with his country.

Portugal currently lead Group D with nine points from three victories, maintaining a perfect record in the competition.

The federation’s efforts are intended to prevent the recent events from bringing Ronaldo’s international career to an abrupt conclusion. Its officials believe his record and long service warrant a more fitting final chapter with the national team.