Because of Lukaku: Van Bommel embarrasses Jesus in the Ronaldo crisis

What did the Dutch coach say?

Belgium head coach Mark van Bommel has left his Portugal counterpart Jorge Jesus in an awkward spot, thanks to the Dutchman's handling of a dispute mirroring Jesus' recent fallout with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo stormed out of the Portugal camp on Wednesday and headed back to Madrid after clashing with Jesus over being left out of the Norway match in the second round of the UEFA Nations League group stage.

Van Bommel has faced a similar situation in his own squad, albeit a milder one, with Fenerbahce striker Romelu Lukaku.

Lukaku managed just the final seven minutes of normal time in Belgium's Nations League opener against Italy. He then stayed glued to the bench until the final whistle of the France match in round two.

Ahead of Friday's third-round clash with Turkey, Van Bommel addressed the issue in his pre-match press conference, revealing he had been in touch with Lukaku to explain the thinking behind his current role.

The Dutch coach said, in remarks reported by the Belgian newspaper "nieuwsblad": "Romelu (Lukaku) can play as a substitute or as a starter, but it depends on what we think we need at any stage or any situation we are going through."

He added: "But I have never promised a player that he will play. You can say the chances are high, but there are no promises."

Social media users seized on that line to take aim at Jesus, who had admitted promising Ronaldo some minutes against Norway before going back on the decision because the circumstances didn't suit.

Van Bommel added: "He (Lukaku) has certain qualities, but I felt in that match (against France) that we were a little far from goal, which means we could have exploited the speed factor."

He continued: "I talk a lot with Romelu. I also went to see him in Istanbul, and I spoke to him via 'FaceTime' about the situation and the style of play. I don't want to say that Romelu can't do it, quite the opposite. The only obstacle is that he doesn't play much at Fenerbahce."

He concluded: "I also explained to him that I chose speed, not because he performs badly, as he trains well, but it is not about playing based on good training sessions, or the opposite. The matter seems bigger from your side (the media), but there is no need to look for any hidden reasons behind it."