Reports claiming Portugal players conspired to force captain Cristiano Ronaldo out of the national team camp have been dismissed as baseless by Portuguese journalist Pedro Sepulveda.
Speaking on the Saudi programme Al-Montasaf, Sepulveda said there was no evidence of a plot by Ronaldo’s team-mates against him, and suggested the dispute had instead been created by new manager Jorge Jesus.
Rumours of a serious rift intensified after Ronaldo left Portugal’s current camp. He was reportedly unhappy at being marginalised and accused Jesus of breaking an agreement over his involvement in matches.
The situation escalated further after comments made by Jesus following Portugal’s meeting with Norway. Those developments led to widespread reports that Ronaldo’s relationship with the new manager had broken down.
But Sepulveda rejected the suggestion that Portugal’s senior players had turned against their captain.
“What is being said about a conspiracy by Portugal’s players against Ronaldo has no basis in reality,” he said.
He added that the squad had been trying to learn from Ronaldo and remain close to him, rather than push him away.
“Portugal’s stars were trying to learn from Ronaldo and stay by his side, but what happened was nothing more than a problem created by Jesus to get rid of the Madeira Rocket,” Sepulveda said.
The reports have raised further questions about Ronaldo’s future with Portugal, although there has been no confirmation that he has ended his international career.
Recent reports indicate that the Portuguese Football Federation is attempting to contact Ronaldo in an effort to resolve the disagreement. It is also said to be considering a final match for the forward, which would provide an official conclusion to his international career.
