Jorge Jesus on Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal retirement: 'I don't know. You should ask him'
Jorge Jesus says he does not know why Cristiano Ronaldo walked away from international football, telling reporters 'you should ask him' when pressed on the reasons.
Ronaldo brought the curtain down on a 23-year Portugal career on Thursday. The decision has dominated the conversation in Portugal ever since, and Jesus has been at the centre of it.
It follows a fallout between Jesus and Ronaldo during last month's international break, when the 41-year-old walked out on the squad, after being informed that he would be a substitute against Denmark.
The Portugal coach had already revealed that he tried to talk Ronaldo out of retirement. Speaking on Thursday, Jesus said he had asked the forward to carry on, and that he 'needed him by my side', before conceding that he had to accept the decision.
Asked a day later whether he would handle the Ronaldo situation differently, Jesus was adamant. 'I wouldn't change anything, absolutely nothing,' he said, adding that he had made the call 'as a coach, putting the interests of my team and the Portuguese national team first'.
José Mourinho has also weighed in, insisting Ronaldo's decision 'must be respected' and that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's career is far from over.
'He hasn't ended his career, those who know him are aware that he still has goals,' Mourinho said.
'He will always be an icon of Portuguese football'
Jesus' first reaction, on Thursday, was full of praise for the player he had hoped to keep. 'Cristiano is a global icon, an example for Portugal and the national team,' he said.
'I had a huge photo of him put up in our auditorium so that all the young players could look up to him every single day.'
'I asked him to continue with me because I needed him by my side. But I have to accept his decision. He will always have a place in the hearts of the Portuguese people. He will always be an icon of Portuguese football.'
On Friday, though, Jesus offered no explanation for why Ronaldo had chosen to step away, pointing instead to the time the pair had spent together at club level. The 72-year-old coached Ronaldo at Al-Nassr last season, winning the Saudi Pro League title together.
"I don't know. You should ask him. What I know for sure is that Cristiano and I worked together for a year. It was a happy time, and we won the title with the club we were at."
