Jorge Jesus rejects calls to apologise over Ronaldo exit

Jorge Jesus has refused to apologise over Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from Portugal duty, maintaining that he alone decides which players are selected and who plays. The coach said the dispute centred on Ronaldo’s warm-up and insisted that taking responsibility for the decision did not mean he had anything to apologise for.

Portugal beat Norway 2-1 on Sunday to make it four Nations League victories from four matches, but Ronaldo’s absence continues to dominate the team’s coverage. The 41-year-old five-time Ballon d’Or winner left the squad on Wednesday after Jesus had left him on the bench in an earlier match despite asking him to warm up for around 20 minutes.

Asked whether Ronaldo could return, Jesus left the possibility open if the forward wanted it. Ronaldo remains Portugal’s most-capped player and leading scorer, while questions have also been raised over whether he will receive a farewell comparable to the one Lionel Messi is expected to have with Argentina.

Jesus, 72, reinforced his authority during the news conference, saying his choices were not subject to negotiation. Portugal will next face Denmark on 14 November, with the coach’s next squad expected to receive close attention because of the dispute.