The key facts

  • Paulo Barbosa linked Ronaldo's retirement from the national team to a conflict with coach Jorge Jesus
  • In October, Ronaldo did not play in the Nations League match against Norway, missed three training sessions, and flew away on his private plane
  • At a press conference, Jesus did not guarantee Ronaldo a place in the lineup for the game against Denmark

Agent names the reason for Ronaldo's departure from the national team

Portuguese football agent Paulo Barbosa said that Cristiano Ronaldo ended his career with the Portugal national team because he failed to find common ground with the national team's head coach Jorge Jesus. This was reported by Match TV citing the agent's words.

What led to the decision

“A great player in the twilight of his career failed to find common ground with the head coach. Of course, he could still have helped the national team. Perhaps not as much as before, but he could have served as an example,” Gazeta.Ru quotes Barbosa.

The October conflict

According to Gazeta.Ru, the conflict between Ronaldo and Jesus occurred during the break for the October international matches. The 41-year-old forward did not take the field in the Nations League match against Norway by the coach's decision, after which he missed the last three training sessions with the national team. At a press conference, Jesus did not guarantee Ronaldo a place in the lineup for the upcoming game against Denmark, after which Cristiano headed to the airport and flew out on his private plane, leaving the team's camp without permission.

Context

Earlier, on November 3, Ronaldo was called “obsessed” — Gazeta.Ru reported this. No official statements from the footballer himself or the Portuguese Football Federation appear in available publications, so the details of the decision to end his national team career remain known only from the agent's words.