Romario backs Cristiano Ronaldo in Jorge Jesus row but says Portugal captain made one mistake

Romario, the Brazil legend and 1994 World Cup winner, has strongly defended Cristiano Ronaldo’s decision to leave Portugal’s training camp during his dispute with Jorge Jesus.

The former Brazil striker said he understood why Ronaldo walked out, arguing that the Portugal captain felt he was no longer valued by the coaching staff. However, Romario said Ronaldo should have confronted Jesus before departing.

Speaking on the Brazilian podcast Charla Podcast, Romario said Ronaldo’s actions were driven by a sense that he had lost his importance within the team. His comments were reported by Portuguese newspaper A Bola.

“I think that was Ronaldo’s mistake at the beginning,” Romario said. “Ronaldo, in this situation, felt that he was someone who was not appreciated and that he was no longer important. That is why he left. That is all there is to it. If I had been in his position, I would have done the same.”

Romario then explained what he believed Ronaldo should have done before leaving the Portugal camp.

“But before I left, I would have told him [Jorge Jesus] to go to hell, before anything else,” he added. “But I would have left, that is all. Wasn’t that his mistake? That was the mistake – that he did not insult the man before he left.”

The remarks represent an unequivocal show of support for Ronaldo as the disagreement with Jesus continues to attract attention. Romario made clear that he considered the Portugal captain’s departure understandable, with his criticism focused only on the way Ronaldo left.

Ronaldo departed the national-team camp after tensions with the coaching staff escalated. The incident took place before Portugal’s match against Denmark and has cast a shadow over the team’s preparations for its forthcoming commitments.

The dispute has also prompted questions about the future relationship between Portugal captain Ronaldo and Jesus. The circumstances surrounding the disagreement remain the subject of continuing debate after the departure brought the conflict into the public eye.