‘The players are behind me and my ideas’: Jesus brushes aside Ronaldo questions

Portugal coach Jorge Jesus sought to draw a line under the controversy surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo after his side produced a convincing 4-2 win over Denmark in the Nations League on Thursday, insisting that the team’s performance was more important than everything that had happened around the veteran forward.

Ronaldo left the Portugal camp on Wednesday, shortly after Jesus confirmed that the 41-year-old would start on the bench for a second successive game. His departure overshadowed Portugal’s preparations for the Group A4 clash in Copenhagen, but the defending champions responded with a high-quality performance to maintain their perfect record.

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When asked after the match whether he would accept Ronaldo back if the forward wanted to return, Jesus did not engage directly with the question.

“A high-quality victory, with four goals, a top-level performance. It can't be overlooked. It's more important than everything that happened,” Jesus told Sport TV.

“That’s what I want to focus on. Returning to Portugal, the people will fight at the Dragao stadium.”

Jesus had already made clear before kick-off that he wanted his players to concentrate on the match, and he was pleased with the response from his squad.

“There’s nothing that should stop the group from being with me,” Jesus said when asked whether he believed the players were behind him.

“I understand the question. The important thing is what we have to do. The things that happen don’t separate the group; they haven’t separated us and they won’t separate us.”

Goncalo Ramos, who started in place of Ronaldo for the second straight match, played a key role in the victory, setting up Joao Cancelo for the opener before scoring Portugal’s second goal.

Vitinha restored Portugal’s lead with a header from Bruno Fernandes’s cross before Joao Felix completed the scoring, with Jesus praising his side’s overall display.

Jesus, who replaced Roberto Martinez after Portugal’s World Cup exit, has won all three of his Nations League matches in charge and has quickly put the team in a strong position to reach the quarterfinals.

“I have a squad that believes in my vision,” he told RTP. “With so much individual quality, things come more easily. They’re right behind me and my ideas.”

His players also backed the new coach after the win. Ramos said Jesus had given the team “clearer ideas”, while Vitinha described the performance as Portugal’s best under the new coach.

“We played an excellent game,” Vitinha said. “Beyond the win, the content of our game was great. I think it was our best display so far.”

Asked about Ronaldo’s absence, Vitinha echoed his coach’s approach.

“We tried to focus just on the game. I think we gave an incredible response. Congratulations to the whole squad for that.”

Jesus had said before kick-off that he would not provide further details about what happened with Ronaldo until Portugal’s international window is over. The Portuguese host Norway in Porto on Sunday.