Cristiano Ronaldo and Jorge Jesus sat down in Malmö on Tuesday evening and defused a row that had threatened to become an open rift between the Portugal captain and his coach. According to A Bola, the conversation at the team hotel “correu bem e deixou sensações positivas”, it went well and left positive feelings, and the discomfort that had lingered since Sunday’s match in Oslo was dissipated in the meeting.

The talks made a separate mission redundant. Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) president Pedro Proença had scrapped an Azores trip to fly to Sweden and mediate in person, but the two men had already talked things out by the time he was due to reach the squad.

What happened in Oslo

Portugal beat Norway 2-1 in the Nations League on Sunday, September 27, with goals from João Félix and Gonçalo Ramos and a reply from Erling Haaland. Ronaldo, on the bench from the start, warmed up during the second half but never came on. At the final whistle he walked straight down the tunnel, skipping the traditional acknowledgement of the travelling Portugal supporters.

That break with a routine Ronaldo has followed for years drew immediate attention. It was, O Jogo reported, an unusual sight from the captain.

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Jesus goes public

At his post-match press conference the following day, Jesus confirmed he had promised Ronaldo playing time and then changed his mind.

“O jogo não pediu [a entrada do Cristiano Ronaldo]. Até tinha combinado com ele ‘na última meia hora vou meter-te no jogo’,” he told reporters, as Sol reported, the game did not call for it, even though he had agreed with Ronaldo to bring him on for the last half hour.

The reason, he said, was that Gonçalo Ramos was performing well and he did not want to disturb him. On Ronaldo’s abrupt exit from the pitch, Jesus was cooler.

“Não me apercebi. Só ele pode responder,” he said, I did not notice; only he can answer for it.

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He then flagged the conversation to come.

“É verdade, como é óbvio tenho de falar com ele, não é?” Jesus said, as reported by Maisfutebol.

Proença stood down

By Tuesday morning the story had grown large enough for the FPF president to step in. Multiple Portuguese outlets reported that Proença was heading to Sweden for a three-way meeting with coach and captain, and Portuguese radio Renascença tracked him leaving Lisbon airport earlier than planned.

By the time he landed, the meeting he was supposed to broker had already happened without him.

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Portugal travel next to Copenhagen for Thursday’s Nations League fixture against Denmark, kick-off at 7:45pm local time at Parken.

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