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Cristiano Ronaldo during Portugal’s UEFA Nations League match against Norway in Oslo on Sept. 27, 2026. Photo by AP |
Padrao disclosed this information on the SIC News program “Jogo Aberto” on Oct. 6. He said that Tiago Craveiro, former vice president and CEO of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), contacted a member of Jesus’s staff to make a demand regarding the pre-match press conference for Portugal’s Nations League game against Denmark.
According to Padrao, Craveiro said on the phone that if the coach does not publicly apologize at the start of the press conference, he would be fired.
Ronaldo’s camp even attempted to draft a specific statement for Jesus to read to force the public apology. However, the Portugal coach refused to apologize or read any part of the prepared script.
“Jesus acknowledged his mistakes and explained the pressure he was under. Admitting a mistake is one thing, apologizing is another,” Padrao said.
The fallout started from a dispute over playing time during the UEFA Nations League this month.
According to British broadcaster and journalist Piers Morgan, coach Jesus had previously agreed with Ronaldo on a specific plan of using him in the Nations League matches. The striker was expected to start and play the full match against Wales before being rested.
However, Ronaldo was substituted in the 67th minute of the Wales match, prompting an apology from Jesus to both the player and FPF president Pedro Proenca.
The situation escalated further during the next match against Norway. Ronaldo had accepted a plan to play for 30 minutes, but despite warming up for 25 minutes, he was never subbed in.
Feeling disrespected by the broken agreements, Ronaldo published an open letter on Oct. 6. In the statement, he clarified that he had never demanded to play every single match and that his frustration rather stemmed from Jesus making promises and acting differently.
Padrao noted that Jesus is deeply affected by the fallout, as he believed he could effectively manage Ronaldo’s playing time after working together for a year at Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, where they won the championship together.
Following Portugal’s Round of 16 elimination by Spain at the 2026 World Cup, Ronaldo was prepared to announce his retirement from international football. Padrao revealed that it was Jesus, alongside Proenca, who convinced the striker to continue, advising him that he deserved to go out in glory rather than ending his career in tears following a defeat.
Padrao remains confident that Jesus has no intention of clashing with Ronaldo and hopes the two can resolve their differences. He noted that Jesus is deeply saddened because he values his strong relationship with the striker.
According to Tribuneafter leaving his roles at the FPF and UEFA, Craveiro became a strategic advisor for CR7 SA, Ronaldo’s management company, in late 2023. Padrao noted that Jesus had to explain Craveiro’s new role to him, remarking that Ronaldo needs friends rather than employees.
Padrao also questioned the ongoing presence of Al Nassr’s sporting director, Simao Coutinho, at the Portugal team’s hotel and squad meetings.