Jorge Jesus after the humiliating defeat: "How could Ronaldo help us?"

The Portugal national team suffered a 1-4 home defeat against Denmark. This match Cristiano Ronaldo was the team's first game since he announced his retirement from international football. For this reason, head coach Jorge Jesus was asked about the legendary striker's absence. However, the coach's response left neither journalists nor football fans indifferent.

For the Portugal national team, this night was unique in several ways. On one hand, the team took the field in a mood to bid farewell to one of the greatest players in their history — Cristiano Ronaldo On the other hand, the result expected by the fans was not achieved: Denmark defeated the Portuguese by a large margin.

After the match, the focus at the press conference was again on Ronaldo. Journalists asked Jorge Jesus if the team missed the 41-year-old star.

Jesus' response: "He no longer plays for the national team"

The coach reacted quite sharply to the question. In his opinion, it makes no sense to point to Ronaldo's absence as the reason for the defeat after he has retired from international duty.

“Did we miss Ronaldo? What does 'miss' mean? He no longer plays for the national team. How could he have helped us then? Should he have sat next to me at the press conference? Ronaldo doesn't play anymore, he is not here. He made his firm decision regarding this,” said Jesus.

The coach's response became the main topic of discussion in Portugal. Because Ronaldo's departure from the national team is not just a farewell to another player, but signifies the end of an entire era.

Why did Portugal lose by a large margin in the first game after Ronaldo's departure?

In the Nations League match held in Braga on November 14, Denmark defeated Portugal 4-1.

In the 43rd minute of the match, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg converted a penalty to open the scoring. At the beginning of the second half, Rasmus Højlund scored twice — in the 49th and 57th minutes. In the 75th minute, Joachim Andersen scored the fourth goal.

Portugal only managed to respond in stoppage time thanks to a goal by Bernardo Silva.

Thus, the first match after the end of Ronaldo's international career ended in a heavy defeat for the Portuguese. Interestingly, the team had conceded a total of four goals in their first four group stage matches. Against Denmark, they conceded the same amount in a single night.

However, it would not be correct to explain the defeat solely by Ronaldo's absence. Defensive errors in the match and the effective actions of the Danish forwards also had a serious impact on the result.

How did Ronaldo's era in the national team end?

Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement from the Portugal national team on November 5. His last match for the national team took place on September 24 against Wales, which the Portuguese won 1-0.

Ronaldo played 234 matches for the national team and scored 146 goals. He holds the records as the player with the most international appearances and the most goals in the history of men's football.

In the months leading up to his departure, there had been disagreements with Jorge Jesus. Ronaldo was unhappy about being benched in the match against Norway in September, and later left the national team camp early.

Later, the player claimed that the agreement with the coach had been broken. Jesus stated that he made his decisions based on the team's interests. Ronaldo's official statement about leaving the national team was released on November 5.

How did Portugal bid farewell to Ronaldo?

The match against Denmark was remembered not only for the defeat but also for the symbolic events dedicated to Ronaldo.

Before taking the field, the Portuguese players appeared in jerseys featuring the legendary striker's famous number 7. Banners dedicated to the former captain were displayed in the stadium.

The Portuguese Football Federation tried to specifically acknowledge Ronaldo's place in the history of the national team. It was a sign of respect for a player who defended the country's honor for 23 years.

However, the biggest gift for the fans would have been a victory. The team could not accomplish this task.

Portugal remains group leader despite the defeat

Despite the defeat against Denmark, Portugal maintained its lead in Group 4 of the Nations League League A with 12 points. Denmark is in second place with 9 points. Both teams have already secured their spots in the quarter-finals.

So, for Jesus' pupils, this defeat was a serious warning, but the main goal in the competition has not lost its strength.

The conclusion is that Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from the national team is the end of a great era for Portuguese football. But now the team must stop relying on his name and reputation and start forming new leaders. Jesus' sharp response reminds us of this very truth: no one can easily replace Ronaldo, but Portugal must learn to win without his participation.