Talks between Ronaldo and Jesus reportedly ease tension in Portugal camp

'Positive signs'. That was how RTP described the latest meeting between national team head coach Jorge Jesus and Cristiano Ronaldo, which took place on Tuesday night in Malmo.

Portugal are preparing there for their Group A4 clash with Denmark in the third round of the Nations League.

It is a sign that the tension caused by the events following the national team's win in Norway (2-1) is easing. Ronaldo was unhappy at being left on the bench in Oslo and made his displeasure public by not joining the rest of the team to thank the fans, instead heading straight to the dressing room.

The issue was frustration over an alleged indication from Jorge Jesus that he would play for around 30 minutes after the break in the match in Norway. That did not happen, with the head coach explaining that it was a tactical decision.

No on-pitch training

The tension grew when Ronaldo did not train in the two days after the match. The captain did gym work only and did not join his teammates, despite having walked out onto the pitch at the stadium in Malmo, where the national team had set up its base before travelling to Copenhagen.

In fact, before Tuesday's training session, the Al Nassr forward was seen speaking to Jorge Jesus on the bench at Eleda Stadion before heading inside.

Later, the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) revealed that the captain had specific gym work to complete and that Malmo's stadium, home of Sweden's most decorated club, did not have some of the necessary equipment.

Proenca heads to Copenhagen

The situation set alarm bells ringing among the FPF leadership. President Pedro Proenca had been due to travel to Sao Miguel to watch the Under-21s' likely qualification for Euro 2027 (the match against Gibraltar on Wednesday), marking a national team's historic return to the Azores after 10 years. However, he changed course and headed for Copenhagen.

The president wanted to ease any potential tension between the head coach and captain, and the move appears to have been successful. It remains to be seen whether Ronaldo will train in Copenhagen on Wednesday.

The session is scheduled for 18:00 CET, with the first 15 minutes open to the media, potentially sealing the peace that appears to have been restored.

It will certainly be a topic to discuss with Jorge Jesus at 17:00 CET during the press conference ahead of the match against Denmark, which will be played at Copenhagen's Parken Stadium.