Portugal men’s national football team head coach Jorge Jesus included Cristiano Ronaldo in the squad for the team’s upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures during a press conference in Lisbon on Friday.
Speaking about Cristiano Ronaldo, Jesus said that the Al Nassr striker is more likely to score his thousandth goal in Saudi Arabia than while playing for the national team. He also said the 41-year-old is different from his teammates because of what he has achieved throughout his career, but stressed that he will only play if he performs.
“Cris is a player like all the others. If he performs, he plays. If he doesn’t, he doesn’t play. That’s how I deal with everyone, and it’s not because he is Cris… Of course, Cris is different, his career is different. He has five Ballon d’Ors. But does that count towards my decisions? No. Nothing. Zero. But the fact that he is different from the others — that he is,” Jesus said.
Speaking about the squad, the coach highlighted the fact that he has already worked with 13 of the players he called up for the upcoming fixtures, saying that this gives him a foundation to work from as he prepares the team.
During the international break, Portugal will face Wales, Denmark and Norway in Group D.
Source: Viory
