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11/06 07:30 CST Portugal coach says he had not anticipated Cristiano Ronaldo's
retirement despite their falling out
Portugal coach says he had not anticipated Cristiano Ronaldo's retirement
despite their falling out
LISBON, Portugal (AP) --- Portugal coach Jorge Jesus says that he had not
expected Cristiano Ronaldo to retire from international soccer despite their
recent public falling out.
"I thought he would return. I certainly intended to call him up," Jesus said
when he presented his Nations League squad on Friday, a day after Ronaldo
announced that he was ending his long and illustrious career for his country.
"He felt that this was the right moment to leave, and that must be respected.
We can never overlook what he has meant to Portugal, what he has contributed to
the country, or the fact that he serves as a symbol for younger players."
Ronaldo's final appearance with Portugal was on Sept. 24 in a 1-0 home win over
Wales in the Nations League.
Jesus kept Ronaldo on the bench for the following match and said he didn't plan
to start him in the next one. Ronaldo responded by leaving the team's training
camp.
Ronaldo later apologized. But the Portuguese soccer federation fined him and
suspended him from the team for 30 days.
In a long video posted on his social media accounts on Thursday, Ronaldo said
"the day has come for me to hand back the No. 7 shirt of our national team."
The 41-year-old Ronaldo will still play at the club level in Saudi Arabia for
Al-Nassr. He is in pursuit of his 1,000th career goal and sits on 985. Of
those, a men's record 146 goals came in 234 appearances with Portugal.
The Portuguese federation said on Thursday that it intends to organize a
tribute to Ronaldo, who played in six World Cups and helped his nation win the
2016 European Championship.
Portugal hosts Denmark in Braga on Nov. 14 and three days later visits Wales in
Cardiff. Portugal has already qualified for the Nations League quarterfinals.
Jesus took over Portugal from Roberto Martnez after a disappointing World Cup
when Ronaldo featured as the point of the attack.
Questions about Ronaldo dominated Friday's press conference, even though Jesus
said he wanted to focus on his team.
He also said he did not take the public split with Ronaldo, an icon in
Portugal, personally.
"As for any hard feelings? There are none. Why? Because all of my decisions
were made with the team in mind," he said. "As a coach, I've always advocated
for what was best for the team, so I'm completely at ease with everything."
___
See AP's full soccer coverage here
