The atmosphere surrounding the Portuguese national team did not calm down despite its victory in the first two matches under the leadership of its new coach, Jorge Jesus, in light of the controversy raised by the non-participation of veteran star Cristiano Ronaldo against Norway, despite his warm-up.
Portuguese media reported that Ronaldo was frustrated by his lack of participation, which sparked a controversy that extended to the Portuguese Football Federation.
Jesus responded to the controversy during a press conference today (Wednesday). His statements were reported by the Spanish newspaper Marca, saying: “Our goal in Copenhagen is to respect our competitor. Denmark is a big team, and our mission is to strive to win the European Nations League title. “I do not have just one player, but I rely on 23 players.”
The veteran coach added: “You can ask questions about any player, but for Ronaldo, one question will be a little and three questions will be a lot, so I will allow only two questions,” stressing that “Ronaldo is not the reason I am here, but rather I am here before you to face Denmark.”
Jesus revealed a prior agreement with the captain of the Portuguese national team regarding his non-participation in the two matches, saying: “I spoke with Ronaldo as I did with Bruno Fernandes, and I agreed with Cristiano that he would not participate against Norway and Denmark.”
He explained that he knows Ronaldo's physical condition well due to their previous experience with Al-Nasr Saudi Arabia, adding: “I worked with Ronaldo for a whole year, and I suddenly did not recognize him for three months. “I am well aware of his physical readiness, and through our work together in Al-Nasr, he rarely participated in consecutive matches every three days.”
He continued: “Ronaldo also does not train in the first two days after each match. I spoke with him about all these details, and during his first press conference with Portugal, he confirmed that he was committed to any role with the team, whether it was a starter or a substitute, and that he would respect the coach’s decisions. “So he did not refuse anything, and this is what happened.”
Jesus pointed out that the circumstances of the match remain a decisive factor in his decisions, saying: “The match scenario determines my decisions. We agreed not to include him in the two matches, and perhaps I would have needed him in the final minutes, but the course of the match changed all these calculations.”
The Portugal coach concluded his statements by saying: “I worked with Ronaldo for a year in Saudi Arabia, and there are no problems between us. In my career I've had a lot of problems with other players, so there's no need to make a big deal out of it. The rules will apply to all players, and everyone is equal.”
The Italian club Roma refused to allow Argentine duo Paulo Dybala and Nauel Molina to travel to their country to participate with the national team against Benin, which will be the last match for captain Lionel Messi after he announced his retirement from international football.
The club said in a statement on its official website: “Roma Club announces that Paulo Dybala and Nauel Molina will not participate in the event scheduled in Argentina on the occasion of the match between Argentina and Benin on October 6.”
Roma explained that it realizes the importance of this occasion for the players, in light of the close relationship between them and Messi, after they were alongside him in the ranks of the Argentine national team that won the 2022 World Cup.
The club added: “This decision was taken for sporting and logistical reasons, taking into account the length of the intercontinental trip and the proximity of the team’s next competitive matches.”
He continued: “Roma Club has the utmost respect for Lionel Messi and his exceptional career, and wishes him and the Argentine Football Association a very special evening.”
Roma is preparing to play an important confrontation against Como on October 11 in the Italian League, before hosting Spanish Real Madrid three days later in the Champions League.
The organizers of the London Marathon announced, on Wednesday, that the dates for the 2027 edition of the races, which will be held exceptionally over two days, were determined in an unusual way through the “rock-paper-scissors” game.
The game brought together Kenyan Sebastian Sawi, world record holder and 2026 London Marathon champion, and Catherine DeBronner, world record holder for women's wheelchair races.
Sawi had become the first man to cover the marathon distance in less than two hours in a race that qualified for the record, after he finished the 2026 London Marathon with a time of one hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds.
Sawi lost the game of “rock-paper-scissors” to Debroner, so that Sunday was devoted to elite women’s competitions and women’s wheelchair races, while the men’s competitions were held the day before, Saturday, April 24, 2027.
Hugh Brasher, executive director of the London Marathon, said the game between Sawe and Debrunner was "an entertaining way to decide which day each of the elite races would take place".
The 2027 edition of the London Marathon will be held over two days for the first time, in an exceptional, one-time change from the usual system in which competitions are held within one day.
The general draw to participate in the race witnessed a record turnout, with 1.33 million people registering for it.
