Liverpool legend and former captain of the English giant Steven Gerrard has come out with a harsh stance on the scandal that has shaken Portuguese football.
The reason is the aggravated conflict between the great star Cristiano Ronaldo and the Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus. Recently, the 41-year-old striker came out with an official statement, in which he revealed that the coach had twice broken a promise.
According to Gerrard, such behavior could cost Jesus his life. The Englishman said to the publication FullTime Report:
„In my opinion, with these actions, Jorge Jesus signed his own dismissal. Ronaldo is not just a footballer, he is a symbol, a huge and powerful figure for an entire country, and he does not joke about such things. We saw what happened with Ten Hag at Manchester United - his career was practically ruined forever. A coach must show the same respect to his players that he expects them to show to him. That is, in my opinion, the root of the problems between Ronaldo and Jesus. I wish him success, but I am convinced that for Jorge Jesus this story will not end well.“
The analogy that Gerrard makes with Erik ten Hag is not accidental. It refers to the stormy rift between Ronaldo and the Dutch manager during his second stay at Manchester United. Then, in November 2022, the Portuguese gave an explosive interview to Piers Morgan, in which he openly declared that he had no respect for Ten Hag because he did not feel the same from him. The result was immediate - The “Red Devils“ terminated the star's contract by mutual consent.