Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença made an urgent trip to Sweden following reports of tension between head coach Jorge Jesus and captain Cristiano Ronaldo.
Proença altered his schedule to join the senior national team in Malmo, Sweden, where Portugal are preparing for Thursday's match against Denmark in Copenhagen. He cancelled a planned trip to the Azores, where he was scheduled to attend an under-21 match in Ponta Delgada on Wednesday.
Portugal's under-21 team can confirm qualification for the 2027 European Championship with a victory against Gibraltar. However, a source close to the FPF president told Correio da Manhã that Proença felt he should be close to the senior squad at this moment.
Agreement over match selection
The upcoming fixture against Denmark marks the third matchday of the UEFA Nations League for Portugal. The build-up to the game has been affected by reports of friction between Jesus and Ronaldo.
In August, Jesus and Ronaldo agreed that the forward would play half of the four matches in the current international window. The plan was for Ronaldo to feature in the home fixtures, which included a 1-0 victory over Wales and Sunday's upcoming home match against Norway.
However, Jesus placed the captain on the bench for last Sunday's 2-1 away win in Norway. The head coach did not bring Ronaldo onto the pitch during that match due to tactical circumstances.
Training absence and hotel workout
Cristiano Ronaldo was one of three Portuguese players who did not take part in group training on Tuesday. The team is staying in Malmo, located in southern Sweden across the Öresund Strait from Copenhagen.
Ronaldo walked onto the pitch 30 minutes before the scheduled session and stood near the substitutes' bench before returning to the dressing room. He did not complete the session outdoors with his teammates.
The Portuguese Football Federation clarified that Ronaldo returned to the team hotel to perform a specific workout in the gym. The federation explained that the training pitch lacked the necessary equipment required for his session.
Reactions from Jesus and Ronaldo
Head coach Jorge Jesus addressed reporters briefly as he left the team hotel earlier in the day. Before boarding the team bus, Jesus said he speaks with Cristiano Ronaldo every day and every minute.
Jesus later shared a photograph of himself on social media. He wrote that the squad had arrived in Malmo in good spirits and with a desire to work, adding that training days are essential to build strong group dynamics.
Ronaldo also posted a photograph on social media. He captioned the image using only two emojis: a flag of Portugal and a heart.
Focus on Denmark set pieces
Ahead of Thursday's match at Parken stadium in Copenhagen, Jesus warned his players about the threat posed by the Danish national team. The head coach paid specific attention to defensive set pieces during training sessions.
Jesus insisted on set-piece drills to exhaustion, focusing on positioning and movement so that Portugal would not be caught unprepared. Denmark have scored four goals in their two Nations League matches so far, with three coming from free kicks and one from a corner kick.
The UEFA Nations League is a biennial tournament contested by European national teams. Portugal are competing in League A as they prepare to face Denmark in Copenhagen.
