Ronaldo’s mother speaks on Portugal row, says son is not properly valued

Cristiano Ronaldo’s mother, Maria Dolores Aveiro, has spoken about her son’s dispute with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus, revealing that she urged the football star to remain calm after he left the national-team camp.

Ronaldo departed the Portugal camp following controversy over his playing time after remaining an unused substitute in the 2-1 Nations League victory over Norway on September 27.

Dolores said she was saddened by the manner of his departure and admitted that the episode left her emotional.

She said that during their first conversation after the controversy erupted, Ronaldo told her not to worry and indicated that he would explain the full circumstances when they met in person.

Dolores said she advised her son to calm down and move beyond the episode.

Ronaldo’s mother questions treatment by Portugal

The 71-year-old also expressed the view that Ronaldo was not receiving the level of appreciation his achievements for Portugal deserved.

Her comments represent her personal assessment of the dispute rather than an official position from the Portuguese Football Federation.

Ronaldo has alleged that Jesus failed to honour an understanding over how much playing time he would receive against Norway.

The forward said he had expected to feature for around 30 minutes but remained on the bench despite warming up during the match. Jesus has disputed aspects of Ronaldo’s account.

The disagreement later led Ronaldo to leave the national-team camp.

Despite the fallout, the 41-year-old has not announced his retirement from international football and has said he remains available to represent Portugal.

Portugal coach Jesus has also left open the possibility of Ronaldo returning to the squad.