What Jorge Jesus said about Cristiano Ronaldo

Portugal national team head coach Jorge Jesus confirmed that captain Cristiano Ronaldo will start in the opening match of the Nations League against Wales. Speaking at the Portugal Football Summit, the 72-year-old specialist highlighted the experienced striker's role in the country's football and his global impact. This is reported by Goal.com reports .

According to Goal.com, the new national team head coach responded to criticism in the press regarding the captain. Ahead of the match at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, Jorge Jesus firmly emphasized that Ronaldo is not just a player on the pitch, but a symbol of the entire nation.

Global impact and fans

The specialist recalled a vivid example from their time working together at Al-Nassr. According to him, while only 3,000 spectators attended a match where Ronaldo did not participate, all 55,000 tickets were sold out and the stadium was packed when the striker played in Hong Kong.

Nevertheless, the head coach stated clearly that past services or star status do not guarantee 90 minutes of play every time. According to him, squad selection and starting XI decisions are still determined by current sporting form.

New tactical approaches

Working with Ronaldo again on the international stage, the experienced specialist expressed his intention to introduce new tactical changes while maintaining the foundation of the national team. He emphasized the advantage of playing with a pure defensive midfielder and a second striker during the game.

As the Portugal national team begins its title defense, the coach did not hide his expectations for productive actions and goals from the captain in tomorrow's match. "Cris is a symbol of Portugal. Tomorrow he will take the pitch, and I hope he scores one or two goals," concluded Jorge Jesus.