"Do you miss Ronaldo?": Jesus faces the most sensitive question with a decisive answer
Jorge Jesus, the head coach of Portugal's national team, refused to link the heavy 4-1 defeat to Denmark to the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, stressing that the team's former captain made his own decision, and that the fans who still invoke his name have not forgotten what he gave to his country over 23 years.
The coach's remarks came after a number of fans left the stands following Denmark's fourth goal, chanting the name of the Portuguese star. The scene dragged his presence back to the centre of the debate despite his absence from the national team.
Asked whether he missed Ronaldo or felt concerned about his absence, Jesus insisted the two matters were not connected. The fans' nostalgia, he reckoned, was natural given the player's long career with the national team.
He added: "People miss him and have not forgotten what Cris gave over 23 years with the national team, but there is no going back on the matter."
On his own position, he was blunt: "Do I miss him? How can I miss him when he is no longer in the national team? The only way I would miss him is if he were beside me, but he no longer plays, he is no longer here, he made his own decision."
The Portugal coach made no secret of his displeasure at the way the match ended. His team, he said, was not prepared to lose on home soil, let alone to concede four goals.
His side lacked the defensive solidity they had shown in the first leg, he admitted, and could not stop Denmark's attack. It got worse in the second half, once the opponents imposed a high press and exploited the spaces behind Portugal's players. The hosts, meanwhile, could not find enough attacking solutions to create chances.
Jesus explained the problem was not limited to the defensive line. It began with the front players failing to press as required, which let Denmark advance with the ball and organise their attacks with ease.
Denmark scored two similar goals from crosses, he pointed out, after their players moved from the back to the front and exploited the spaces between Alberto and Rúben Dias. He praised their ability to read the movements of Portugal's players and exploit their weaknesses.
His team, he confirmed, could not repeat what they had produced during the first leg, when they were the better side and came away 4-2 winners.
Taking responsibility for the failure, the manager said the players' inability to carry out his instructions fell on him. He also noted that some of them lacked competitive readiness after two weeks away from club football.
The defeat, he revealed, would push him to review his calculations before facing Wales. He had been thinking of giving some players a chance, but now leaned towards the ones who had delivered convincing performances and contributed to the previous four victories, in search of balance and qualification.
Jesus refused to let the defeat cast doubt on the national team's first four matches. What happened against Denmark, he reckoned, was a bad night that does not erase the strength of the previous results.
He said: "I will not cast doubt on the journey the team went through in those four matches, during which we achieved strong victories."
After the match he went to the dressing room to lift the players' morale, he added, reminding them they were still top of the group with one final chance to secure first place. The defeat was heavy, he stressed, but Denmark deserved to win.
Conceding goals in quick succession hit the players' psychological state, the coach acknowledged, their confidence in a comeback draining as the gap widened.
Even so, he stressed the need to shake off the defeat and focus on the next match. It is Portugal's last chance to confirm their lead and book a place in the quarter-finals.
