Portugal national team coach Jorge Jesus denied on Wednesday that there was any dispute between him and Cristiano Ronaldo, but he admitted that the national team captain was disappointed not to participate during the 2-1 victory over Norway in the European Nations League.
Ronaldo went directly to the changing rooms after the end of the match in Oslo, without joining his teammates to greet the Portuguese fans, which raised questions about his position on his coach’s decision.
“Nothing happened at all,” Jorge Jesus said, on the eve of facing Denmark on Thursday in Copenhagen, explaining that it is normal for the player to not be happy after he spends time warming up without participating.
The Portuguese coach indicated that he informed Ronaldo in advance that he would not start the match, with the possibility of using him in the final minutes, before finally deciding not to include him.
Jorge Jesus also denied reports that Ronaldo refused to participate in training, stressing that the national team captain performed individual exercises for movement and muscle strengthening.
Jorge Jesus revealed that he intends to start Goncalo Ramosh against Denmark after he scored the winning goal against Norway, stressing at the same time that he will seek help from Ronaldo if he needs him during the match.
Ronaldo, 41 years old, holds the record for the number of appearances and goals with the Portugal national team, having scored 146 goals in 234 international matches.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said that he would be "deeply concerned" if the owners of Manchester City decided to sell the club, after it was found guilty of serious violations of financial rules.
Burnham praised the group that owns Manchester City, led by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the UAE, noting the size of its investments in the city of Manchester since its acquisition of the club in 2008.
“I would be really worried if we lost them,” Burnham told the BBC. “They have been a tremendous partner in building modern Manchester, and of course in transforming Manchester City into the global power it has become.”
The League announced yesterday (Tuesday) that Manchester City used “sham” sponsorship contracts, as part of arrangements aimed at inflating revenues and reducing costs by more than 900 million pounds ($1.2 billion) over nearly a decade.
Manchester City denied committing any violations, stressing its intention to appeal the decision.
Burnham, who previously served as Mayor of Greater Manchester, linked the issue to Everton's experience with the league's profit and sustainability rules. He previously considered that the club he supports was not treated fairly.
Everton was punished by deducting ten points from its balance, before the penalty was reduced to six points, after it was found guilty of violating the league’s financial rules during a three-year period that ended in 2022.
“It would be a mistake for me to take sides, given the experience I had previously,” Burnam said.
While the penalties have not yet been determined and appeals are expected to be filed, Burnham acknowledged that there is “a lot of things at stake” for Manchester City, its fans and the city of Manchester, stressing that it is not appropriate for him to interfere in disciplinary procedures.
The Formula 1 World Championship returns to the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia this week after a nine-year absence, amid a major challenge for drivers and teams as most of them lack experience and up-to-date data on the circuit.
Sepang will host the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, after it was decided to move the race from the Sakhir Circuit due to the Iranian war and the situation in the Middle East.
The Malaysian circuit, which first appeared on the Formula 1 calendar in 1999, has not hosted any race since 2017, when Malaysia stopped hosting the championship due to high costs and declining revenues.
The Sepang Circuit is 5,543 kilometers long and combines long straight lines with fast turns, and the 2026 race will be held over 56 laps.
Only ten of the 22 drivers have previously participated in races on the Malaysian circuit, which means that world champion Lando Norris and his McLaren colleague Oscar Piastri will be among the drivers who have their first experience on it.
McLaren racing director Randy Singh said the team had prepared extensively using simulators, with Norris and Piastri taking time to familiarize themselves with the track.
But he pointed out that there is a state of uncertainty regarding the accuracy of the track models and the nature of the asphalt surface and its effect on the tires, which makes Friday’s free trials very important for understanding the track, adjusting the car settings, and evaluating tire characteristics and overtaking opportunities.
The knowledge gap is not limited to drivers, as no team has real reference data for the current generation Formula 1 cars at the Sepang Circuit.
Max Verstappen was the last driver to win a Formula 1 race in Malaysia in 2017, in a victory that was only the second in his career at the time.
The same race saw the debut of Frenchman Pierre Gasly, the current Alpine driver, with Toro Rosso, while Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc was serving as a test driver at Sepang during that year.
For its part, Pirelli, the official tire supplier, warned the teams of difficult conditions, and described the track’s surface as “relatively abrasive” and with a degree of roughness similar to the Bahrain Circuit.
The company expected grip levels to be low during Friday's testing, before gradually improving as track use increased over the weekend.
