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Former Benfica striker António Simões, a bronze medallist with Portugal at the 1966 World Cup, said Cristiano Ronaldo was not in the right in his dispute with head coach Jorge Jesus. A Bola published Simões’ comments.
Ronaldo had earlier outlined his position, accusing Jesus of breaking promises. The 41-year-old apologised to fans and teammates for leaving the national team camp, said he was prepared to accept any possible penalty from the Portuguese Football Federation and indicated he could return to the national team.
Simões calls on both sides to reconcile
Simões believes the two sides should speak to each other and resolve the issue. He said that if Ronaldo acknowledges his mistake, he should not be harshly criticised; instead, he should be given the opportunity to bring his career to a fitting close.
The former striker stressed that Ronaldo no longer needs to play 90 minutes in every match. He said the player could help the team during part of a game, but that would not necessarily mean a place in the starting lineup.
Simões said Jesus had the right to send Ronaldo to warm up whenever he wished: “He has special status, but he is also a player on the team. I played with Eusébio and have spoken with Pelé and Maradona; I have never seen anything like this.”
