Former Chelsea player, Craig Burley has expressed his support for Jorge Jesus amid the contentious dispute involving Cristiano Ronaldo and the Portugal national team coach.
The former Scotland midfielder further argued that Cristiano Ronaldo should not be Portugal’s main striker at his current age.
Ahead of Portugal’s UEFA Nations League match against Denmark, Cristiano Ronaldo made headlines after departing from the national team’s training facility.
The 41-year-old released a statement indicating that he would soon disclose the “truth” regarding his departure to his supporters.
Subsequently, commentator Edu Aguirre reported on El Chiringuito TV that Jesus had compromised the confidence of the Portugal icon by failing to honour his commitment to the superstar. Jesus’ remarks during the media briefing allegedly provoked Cristiano Ronaldo, prompting his decision to leave.
Burley maintained that Jesus demonstrated sound judgment by refusing to capitulate to the Al-Nassr player, unlike his predecessor, Roberto Martinez.
From an analytical perspective, the former Chelsea midfielder believes that a forward over 40 years old should not be the primary striker for a leading European football nation such as Portugal.
While Burley commended Cristiano Ronaldo’s drive and determination to continue at this stage of his career, he emphasised that the player should recognise the rationale behind Jesus’ decision.
During an appearance on ESPN FC, Burley said, “Roberto Martinez bowed to him, which we all knew was going to happen. It looked like Jorge Jesus was going to go the same way. But he’s obviously seen something and he’s made a decision. I’m all for that [decision].
“I’ve been banging this drum for quite some time now. Not because, as Ronaldo fans seem to think, we all hate him. It’s just a fact. When you analyse any team, any player, you have to analyse objectively.
“And the objective analysis from the mainstream was that a guy in his 40s can’t continue to lead the line for one of the supposed major countries in European football, if not the world.
“He [Ronaldo] was never really going to make that decision. He is dedicated to it, does have a great attitude, he is, in his head, still the main guy, but he’s not. This is not Ronaldo at 28 years old, not 25 years old, or even 32; this is him in his 40s. He’s going to have to s*ck this up.”
Portugal beat Denmark 4-2 in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, thanks to goals from Joao Cancelo, Goncalo Ramos, Vitinha and Joao Felix.