Ronaldo morale ‘very high’ despite Portugal drama, says Ange Postecoglou

Cristiano Ronaldo has returned to Al Nassr after the latest Portugal drama, with coach Ange Postecoglou revealing that the veteran forward’s morale is “very high”.

The 41-year-old superstar is back in Saudi Arabia after a dramatic exit from Portugal's latest international camp, following a reported fallout with new boss Jorge Jesus.

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Ronaldo publicly accused his former Al Nassr manager of breaking promises, adding another twist to an increasingly tense situation surrounding the Portugal captain.

But while Jesus has chosen to brush off the controversy, Postecoglou has made it clear he wants no part of the international row.

Speaking ahead of Al Nassr's league clash with Al Draih on Thursday, the Australian insisted Ronaldo's mood is still positive.

“Ronaldo played for us with full commitment and his morale is very high,” Postecoglou said.

“I’m his coach now at Al Nassr, and he is a great addition to our team.

“I don’t like to talk about what happened with his national team.”

Ronaldo was left on the bench during Portugal's 2-1 Nations League victory over Norway on September 27.

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He subsequently left the camp after Jesus indicated that he was not planning to start the veteran forward against Denmark.

The situation then exploded when Ronaldo released a statement accusing Jesus of broken promises.

Jesus responded on Wednesday with just one sentence when questioned about the claims.

“I read the statement and now, like I do every day, I am going to the federation to work, to think about the team and the national team,” he said.

Postecoglou, meanwhile, has stressed that Ronaldo is ready to get straight back to work with Al Nassr.

“Ronaldo has returned and is ready to play,” he said.

The former Australia boss also explained why he was determined to stay out of the dispute.

“I previously coached a national team for four years, and I don’t like club managers talking about national team managers, so I won’t comment on that.”

Despite the explosive fallout, Ronaldo has already apologised to his Portugal team-mates and said he will accept whatever punishment is handed down by the Portuguese Football Federation.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is also hoping his international career is far from over.

Portugal have two more Nations League fixtures in November, against Denmark and Wales, meaning Ronaldo could potentially be back in the squad for those games.

And with 146 goals in 234 appearances, Portugal will certainly have a decision to make over whether to bring their record goalscorer back into the fold.