After the escape: Mud fight with the coach: What future does Ronaldo have?

National coach Jorge Jesus initially responded to superstar Cristiano Ronaldo's 1,740-word statement with just two compact sentences. «I was in Leiria and saw the Portuguese U21 game and now I'm going to read Cristiano's message. I have nothing to say,” said Jesus. In the statement on Instagram, the 41-year-old Ronaldo accused his coach of, among other things, breaking his word.

Jesus' answer sounded as if he had first looked at Portugal's future - and then turned his attention back to the past. There is a risk of an escalation of a mud fight that had been brewing in the past few days and which gained massive speed with Ronaldo's explosive statement.

Messi's farewell vs. Ronaldo's farewell

Because Ronaldo's statement about the scandal surrounding his departure from the national team's quarters is not only in stark contrast to his eternal rival Lionel Messi, who ceremoniously said goodbye to Argentina's Albiceleste in a 3-0 win against Benin on Wednesday night. It's dripping with accusations against Jesus, who put his superstar on the bench in the 2-1 win against Norway and didn't come on as a substitute.

Ronaldo immediately left the national team and announced that he would comment on the issue in due course. It was not originally planned to be used. The coach asked him before the game to play for 30 minutes, which didn't happen, Ronaldo wrote in his statement.

Ronaldo denounces “haughty attitude”.

After a clarifying conversation with Jesus and sports director Simão Coutinho, the coach was actually supposed to clear up the matter in advance at the press conference, said Ronaldo. «The appearance had nothing to do with our meeting. I heard comments and experienced an aggressiveness that I felt I did not deserve - a haughty and arrogant attitude that he had not even begun to show towards me the day before.

The 41-year-old - 234 international matches, 146 goals and one European Championship title - remained silent about the matter for days after his escape. In the long Nations League window, Portugal defeated Wales (1-0) and Norway (2-1), Denmark (4-2) and again Erling Haaland's Norwegians 2-1.

In terms of sport, Jesus, who trained Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia at Al-Nassr in the previous season, has all the arguments. And yet everyone is just talking about the Ronaldo case again.

Does the national coach’s promise hold true?

Jesus gave the superstar every chance of returning to the national team after his departure. «For me, Cris is a candidate for the squad the next time he is nominated – provided he plays for Al-Nassr. If he wants to return, he will return,” said the 72-year-old. Ronaldo now signaled his willingness. But his open accusation against the boss that he had broken his word is likely to resonate.

“Despite the absolute breach of trust on the part of the coach - which witnesses to these conversations can confirm - I should not have done that. “The responsibility lies solely with me,” admitted Ronaldo. The football icon used a large part of his explanation to meticulously trace the misunderstandings and communication with Jorge Jesus.

Ronaldo expects to be banned

"I had the feeling that my stay from that moment would only have harmed the team, and I did what I had always said: when I no longer feel useful, I will pack my things and leave," wrote Ronaldo. For him, “the truth is still the most important thing in the relationship between people”.

The relationship of trust between the two is likely to be at least strained, if not completely destroyed. Ronaldo himself is expecting a ban from the association, but announced that he would be available again as normal afterwards.

Head coach has a contract until the 2030 World Cup

After the World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada, Ronaldo was already considering the end of his national team career. "After the end of the tournament, on the return flight from the USA, the president of the association strongly asked me to reconsider my decision to leave because the FPF wanted me to continue," emphasized Ronaldo.

He was also asked for an opinion on Jorge Jesus when looking for the new national coach. “I informed the association president that in my opinion this would be the right choice,” wrote Ronaldo.

Jesus signed a contract until the summer of 2030 and will therefore not only be responsible for the Nations League next summer and the 2028 European Championship in Great Britain, but also the home World Cup in just under four years. The fact that both - head coach Jesus and the then 45-year-old Ronaldo - will start for Portugal has gradually become less likely in the last few days.