Goncalo Ramos said Jorge Jesus told him to move into the penalty area only one or two minutes before he scored Portugal’s winning goal against Norway.
Portugal beat Norway 2-1 at home, with Ramos speaking to Portuguese broadcaster Canal 11 after the match about his decisive contribution, the influence of the new head coach and his form during the international break.
‘The important thing is to score’
Ramos played down the quality of his finish, saying the difficult pitch conditions mattered less than converting the opportunity.
“This goal? The outcome was good. To be honest, the pitch conditions weren’t ideal, but what matters is that the ball went in,” he said.
“After a while, no one will remember the quality of the strike. Sometimes a shot is of great quality, but it goes wide. The important thing is to convert the chance into a goal.”
The forward also described a light-hearted exchange with Jesus in the build-up to the goal.
“It was one or two minutes before the goal. I had drifted a bit to the right, and the coach told me, ‘Get into the box.’ Two minutes later, I scored, and he came back and said, ‘See, I told you so,’” Ramos said.
“It was another funny moment between me and the coach.”
Ramos praises Jesus’ impact
Ramos said the players had already been familiar with Jesus and understood what he wanted to introduce to the national team. Those who had previously worked with him, he added, found it easier to adapt to his approach.
“We were all familiar with the coach beforehand and knew what he intended to bring to the team. For those of us who had worked with him before, adapting to his system was easier,” he said.
“We have clear ideas both offensively and defensively. We are playing better with each passing match, and these four games have shown what we can achieve moving forward.”
Ramos also viewed his performances for Portugal and his club during the international break as evidence of his continued work.
“This demonstrates my hard work and the consistent effort I’ve put in for both the Portuguese national team and my club,” he said.
“I am always ready to play and contribute to the team, not just by scoring goals. Of course, as a striker, scoring goals is the icing on the cake. I contribute across all aspects of the game, and that helps the team.”
