Culture & Entertainment · Singapore Bureau
Portugal coach dismisses rift claims after Ronaldo skips training
Portugal manager Jorge Jesus has downplayed suggestions of a falling-out with Cristiano Ronaldo, despite confirming the star forward missed the team's final training session before a Nations League clash with Denmark.
LSN Singapore ·
Jesus denied on Wednesday that Ronaldo had refused to participate in the session, though the Portuguese Football Federation acknowledged the striker's absence from the workout. The denial came as Portugal prepared for their upcoming Nations League fixture against the Danes, with questions swirling about the circumstances surrounding Ronaldo's non-appearance.
The forward's absence from the final preparation session raised eyebrows among observers monitoring the team's preparations. However, Jesus sought to quell speculation about any potential rift between himself and the veteran striker, emphasizing that the situation did not reflect any deeper tensions within the squad.
Portugal's official football federation confirmed in a statement that Ronaldo did not take part in the training, but provided limited additional detail about the reasons behind his absence. The clarification from both the coach and federation appeared aimed at managing media narrative around the incident ahead of the Nations League encounter.