Reports have revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo will refuse to return to the Portugal national team as long as Jorge Jesus remains in his position as head coach.
This dramatic claim follows the departure of the 41-year-old star from the Portuguese team camp after sitting on the bench against Norway, where he remained a substitute without entering the field.
After that, Ronaldo missed three training sessions before leaving the camp and did not participate in Portugal's last two matches during the international break.
Since then, Jesus has opened the door for Ronaldo's return next month, confirming that the Al Nassr striker would be welcome should he come back to the national team.
However, Portuguese journalist Rui Santos revealed that Ronaldo has lost faith in the coach and does not intend to play under his leadership again.
Santos stated via CNN Portugal that Ronaldo expressed his anger and said he would not return to the national team, at least as long as Jorge Jesus remains at the helm.
He added: He is completely dissatisfied with the way this entire situation has been handled. He was particularly angry about the content of the statements made by Jorge Jesus, the national team's head coach.
It is said that Ronaldo felt greatly frustrated by what he considered contradictory messages from Jesus, who spoke about welcoming the captain's return but at the same time insisted that the selection of the squad was solely his prerogative, claiming that there was no need for any apology.
British journalist Piers Morgan also entered the fray, accusing Jesus of going back on a promise he made to Ronaldo, comparing the situation to how Erik ten Hag treated the Manchester United legend.
The tense relationship between Ronaldo and Ten Hag was one of the factors that contributed to his controversial departure from Manchester United in 2022, after the Portuguese striker accused the Dutch coach of disrespect during his famous interview with Morgan.