Former Portugal midfielder Jose Luis Vidigal has challenged Cristiano Ronaldo’s justification for leaving the national-team camp before Portugal’s UEFA Nations League fixture against Denmark, arguing that the explanation failed to address the wider controversy involving coach Jorge Jesus.
Vidigal backs Portugal coach
In comments to Gazzetta dello Sport, the 53-year-old former international supported Jesus’s handling of the dispute and said Ronaldo had made a poor choice by taking a return flight away from the squad.
- Vidigal said Jesus acted appropriately in the circumstances.
- He said his immediate reaction to Ronaldo’s departure was that the forward would later regret the decision.
- He argued that Ronaldo’s public statement did not sufficiently explain several aspects of his conduct.
“The coach did what he had to do. When Ronaldo took the return flight, I immediately thought he would regret what he was doing,” Vidigal said.
Questions over Ronaldo’s explanation
Vidigal said Jesus had acknowledged that Ronaldo made an error, but questioned the idea that the player should be made to kneel, describing such an approach as something that does not exist anywhere.
“The statement he made does not justify many things. Jesus said he made a mistake, but making him kneel is, in my view, something that does not exist anywhere,” he added.
Expected November return
Ronaldo is expected to rejoin the Portugal national side during the November international window.
