The tension in the Portuguese national team is completely under control, after captain Cristiano Ronaldo and coach Jorge Jesus held a private conversation and smoothed over the differences that arose between them, reports the authoritative Portuguese publication A Bola.
The spark between the 41-year-old veteran and the 72-year-old tactician exploded immediately after the 2-1 victory over Norway in the Nations League tournament. In the match in question, Ronaldo watched the entire 90 minutes from the bench, and immediately after the final whistle, he headed straight to the dressing room, skipping the traditional greeting gesture to the arriving fans. Subsequently, the goalscorer did not take part in the general activities on the pitch, and on September 29 conducted a separate physical program in the gym - a move justified by the media in the country by the lack of appropriate equipment at the Malmö stadium.
In order to ensure complete calm in the team and to prevent any speculation, the Portuguese Football Federation took lightning measures. The president of the headquarters Pedro Proenca arrived in person at the team's training base to closely monitor the microclimate ahead of the upcoming official commitments.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who has an impressive 146 goals in 234 matches for his homeland, continues to be a key figure in the squad. Portugal currently leads the standings in Group 4 of Division A in the Nations League with a total of 6 points after the first two rounds, and the next test for Jorge Jesus' selection is the visit of Denmark to Copenhagen on October 1.