Cristiano Ronaldo apologizes to Portugal teammates, SPEAKS OUT against Jorge Jesus | ESPN FC

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ESPN FC debates Ronaldo's statement: who is to blame, Jesus or Ronaldo?

The panel discusses Cristiano Ronaldo's public statement about his fallout with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus. Don Hutchison says Ronaldo should not shift the blame to the coach and that managers cannot guarantee minutes, while Shaka Hislop puts the blame on Jesus; Jermaine Jones criticizes the coach for promising players specific minutes.

On ESPN FC, Kay Murray is joined by Shaka Hislop, Don Hutchison and Jermaine Jones to discuss Cristiano Ronaldo's statement addressing his fallout with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus, his decision to remain available for the national team and his plans to continue representing Portugal. ✔️ Subscribe to ESPN Unlimited: https://plus.espn.com/ ESPN ESPNFC portugal ronaldo cristianoronaldo

Transcript

about it being the end. And Cristiano Ronaldo himself wrote, "Lo, so many years defending your country and a history that will last forever. All my respect for what you have achieved with Argentina a hug." And so, while we are on the subject of Cristiano Ronaldo, let's get you some of the reaction to him revealing his side of the story about leaving the national team setup. That was that very lengthy quote from Cristiano Ronaldo. And the papers have all reacted to that in Portugal. Ronaldo tells all. Ronaldo's truth. Ronaldo wants to return but blames Jesus. I apologize to the Portuguese people. Ronaldo asked for forgiveness but crucifies Jesus. So Jose has made a statement himself that's come out today in response to Cristiano's comments yesterday. He said, "I read this statement and now like I do every day, I'm going to the Federation headquarters to work to think about the Portuguese national team. I have nothing more to say." And we did want to bring you a little more of what Cristiano Ronaldo said in his statement. He said, "What had been agreed was simple. The coach would start his press conference with this topic, seeking to close the matter by telling the truth. He would say that I had never asked to play a single minute, that it was he and no one else who had proposed the schedule for the camp, and that sending me to warm up without bringing me on had been a mistake he wouldn't repeat. [music] We ended that meeting with the coach asking me to hug him, promising me that he would say in the press conference what he had just told me and that we would turn the page. A short [music] document was drafted, which I personally approved, and which, to my knowledge, was handed to [music] the coach as he had requested. The notes I had approved were as follows. And then we take it to [music] number six, which was, I made a mistake by sending a player of the stature of Pelle or Maradona to warm [music] up only to ultimately not bring him on. If I had to do it over today, I wouldn't do it. Don and Jermaine still with us. Don, I heard you were fired up about this. What's got you all riled up? Um, I just think when you look at the the send off that Messi's had, it's it's it's joyous. It's it's him thanking everyone for the time that he spent in an Argentina shirt and Ronaldo seems to have gone about a different way. I'm not a Ronaldo hater at all. I'm just frustrated that the way it's panning out for him because he's obviously been a legendary player, like one of the very best. We talk about Messi and I and I said before depends what camp you're in, but you're having the conversation. You were talking about Ronaldo. He might not be your favorite. He might not be your number one, but he would come into the conversation. And I think it's very unfair that he seems seems to be putting this on George Jesus who managed him at Al-Nasa. He knows what Ronaldo can do and can't do at 41 years of age. So, I get that Ronaldo's got an ego. I get that he wants to play every single minute or he wants to play minutes for the national side. I think they need to to build bridges for sure. But I don't think it's on Georg Jesus to promise or guarantee any player even though he is one of the best in the world or has been one of the best in the world. He's now 41. You can't guarantee players minutes. Gonzalo Ramos has started three games now in a row and he scored in all three games and they've won games. So I just like to see Ronaldo have this if he wants to carry on, carry on. But I don't think his ego, and this is not a criticism of him because elite players at his level have got an ego. They they carry an ego. They they carry it that they've got something about them that's just built different than anyone else. But will Ronaldo because George Jesus said the other day, I'm paraphrasing, but he said he's told Ronaldo he's very important to him. Now that's been lost and I think a little bit in translation really because what George Jus is basically saying to Ronaldo is listen at 41 you can't start every single game but you might get 10 minutes at the end of a game you might get five minutes at the end of a game when you're a legendary player like Ronaldo your ego doesn't allow you or doesn't want you just to come on for five minutes of a game I've seen that with Totty at Roma and it ended incredibly bad so I I just I'd like to see them build bridges. I'd like to see Ronaldo back in a Portugal shirt for sure, but I don't think that he can demand on what games he's going to play in and what sort of minutes. That has to be down to the manager. This is not a charity game. This is not a soccer age game when you play for Portugal. You are playing elite level football and the responsibility has to be with the manager to pick what he thinks is the best 11 and the best subs coming off the bench. And yet in Cristiano's comments, he did say that the coach had asked for him in a game he wasn't expecting to play. Asked him if he had 30 minutes in him. And I know that you, Shaka, have had a bit of a change in your own opinion after seeing Cristiano's comments on this whole situation. >> I listen I I think this is down to George Jesus and and kind of reading reading Ronaldo's statement where he play he started against wheels. Ge Jesus used him from from the opening whistle. He lasted somewhere between 65 and and and 17 minutes. And then the plan was as as far as Ronaldo Ronaldo knows or or George Jesus came to tell him was he would not feature against Denmark or Norway. Um George Jesus went so far to say you can stay in Portugal. To which Ronaldo responded, "Listen, I'm I'm team captain. I'll at least travel with the team. I'm I'm coming. I'm I know I'm not playing, but I'll come with the team." And then at some point before that that first game on that road trip, George Jesus gets a message to him. we're going to use it for 30 minutes. So then he get kind of gets prepared and and well to Ronaldo's statement I he he's he's talking about his his recovery post the Wales game. Now I don't know what that looks like. That's not something I ever worried about myself. Um but at 41 years old and and and performing at the level that he does, he's got his routines and George Aus got him to change that routine and then change it back again when when he doesn't play. So I understand why why Ronaldo's upset because you know this was the understanding that they spoke about a long time before um and then all of a sudden in the moment George Jus changes things which to George Jesus's credit you know he he can do but you certainly you've got to manage any 41year-old never mind Cristiano Ronaldo you've got to manage any 41year-old far more delicately than you would a 26 year old so I I totally understand. I I think this is down to Jous. I don't put this on on on Ronaldo at all. I I will also add to to to to Don's point. I don't think it it um damages his legacy, nor do I think it changes what his sendoff may look like in in comparing it to Lionel Messi. Whenever that time comes, whenever that decision is made, I I think he'll be as warmly received by the Portuguese people as Lionel Messi was by the Argentines. Germaine, what have you made of the back and forth between Ronaldo and Jesus? >> Um, yeah, for me in the beginning I was thinking um more in defense of the coach, but now even after the statements, I have a problem with a coach making statements to players or promises. So, that's just a problem. Especially if you have a player like Cristiano Ronaldo, he's 41 years old. You don't know if he's for the next World Cup or Euros or if you even plan with him because you have Ramos is playing and scoring and you have younger guys they're making just the next step. So of course if you promise a player like Cristiano Ronaldo that you will put him in after 30 minutes or give him 30 minutes that then he will wait for that 30 minutes and he wants to get that minutes because um if not his ego is too big because I cannot see Cristiano like Messi stepping away from I think the toughest part is always if you have players in that category is two options. They step away alone or they have to put by side by somebody else. And um and you see it in different sport it happens. Um and Cristiano will be sad if that happens in in that direction because he's just incredible player what he did for football in general. But um yeah, we will see how this all ended. But I don't think it was smart from the coach to make um yeah the calls like he did. >> Don, was there something specifically with the fact that Pelle and Maradona were mentioned that had got you thinking on this statement? >> Well, no. Well, I I I just think I mean from what I read I mean I mean I might be totally wrong but from what I read and how I took it is Ronaldo was asking George Jesus to mention Ronaldo in the same breath as Pelle Maradona. I mean I don't know why his PR team would allow him to write a 2,000word essay if you like. I just think I just think if you're Ronaldo pick up the phone to the coach. I don't know why you've got to tell the world. I don't know why you can't he doesn't want to end. He doesn't want to end and that's credit to him. He feels as though at 41 he can go on and I commentated on a on a on a Al-Nasa game probably about two months ago now and they were down to 10 men. Al-Nasa were 2-0 down. An Costa took him off at Halime because it was hard work for a 41y old trying to lead the line against a team when they had 10 v1 and his team were 2-0 down. They went on to win the game 3-2. He put younger legs on. So to Shaka's point, I think, you know, you can promise Ronaldo if you're George A Jesus, you're gonna get on for some minutes, 30 minutes, but sometimes in a game it might go in a different direction. And the coach has got the prerogative, in my opinion, being the manager to say, "Well, listen, I wanted to get you on and I told you before the game I would get you on, but the game didn't dictate that. It didn't allow it. So I couldn't bring you on. We wanted to win the game. That was the most important thing." And then that's how it should have went. But listen, if I'm a manager and I'm dro dropping Shaka, I don't think Shak Shaka's flying home in a private jet just because I didn't put him on. Surely you've got to have something about you where you accept the coach's decision. You don't like it and you hate it and we all do as players, but you can't just like fly off in a tantrum and act like a baby. >> Yeah. You do you not use your private chat anymore, Shaq? >> No. Not for international fixtures. [laughter] >> Fair enough. >> Yeah. Jermaine, before we let you go, we're enjoying your backdrop today. We wanted you to talk us through some of what's behind you >> in your shot today. We can see a a trophy. Oh, that's Yeah, tell us. Talk us through it. >> Um, that was my first jersey when I played for the US team in Chicago against Poland. >> What else have we got there? Man of the match. >> Man of the match. There's some ESPN best moments. Um, SP award, the World Cup, Kata. Yeah, when I worked for TV and then some medals. >> Nice. >> Look at that. Very nice. >> Yeah. Don't have a private jet like me though. >> No, I know. Not many do. [laughter] Jermaine, thank you so much for joining us tonight. We look forward to speaking to you again very soon. >> Thank you guys. Bye-bye.