Jorge Jesus on Ronaldo: 'How Am I Supposed to Miss Him? He's No Longer in the National Team'

Portugal suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat away to Denmark in Group 4, Matchday 5 of the UEFA Nations League. Denmark started the match with a high-tempo pressing game in midfield, which made it difficult for Portugal to organise their attacks. Portugal went into the break 1-0 down after conceding from a penalty, and in the second half they failed to show the resistance their defence needed.

The head coach openly admitted that his side had not been solid defensively. He said Denmark's forwards moved freely just in front of the last line of defence and that the ball reached those areas easily. He stressed that responsibility for defending does not lie with the back line alone and that everyone shares it.

The coach said he had to rethink his plans for some players against Denmark. He explained that he had called up two players even though they did not have enough match fitness. He also noted that both players had not played a game for their clubs in two weeks.

Asked about Cristiano's absence, he replied: 'How am I supposed to miss him? He's no longer in the national team.' He said it was natural for fans to miss their former captain, given what he had done for the national team over 23 years. He added that the player had already made his decision about his future.