Shock: Portuguese fans don't want Ronaldo in the national team!

Cristiano Ronaldo attempted to explain his actions and the reasons why he left Portugal’s national team camp, but his statement to the public did not receive the response he was probably hoping for.

Portugal captain Ronaldo issued a lengthy statement on Tuesday, apologizing for leaving the squad while also openly criticizing head coach Jorge Jesus. Ronaldo said the coach had promised him something on two occasions but failed to keep those promises, further deepening the dispute that has been affecting the Portuguese national team for some time.

His claims attracted considerable public attention, and the newspaper A Bola decided to gauge how fans viewed the situation. More than 25,000 readers took part in the poll, and the results were quite clear.

More than 70 percent of participants believe Ronaldo should be punished in a way that would mean he never returns to the Portugal national team.

The result highlights the extent of dissatisfaction among some members of the Portuguese public with the actions of one of the greatest footballers of all time. However, some respondents believe the dispute could be resolved without long-term consequences.

Around 14 percent of respondents believe the situation will calm down within a few days and that relations within the national team will return to normal.

Almost seven percent of those who took part in the poll expressed an interesting view, believing that Ronaldo could be given a special role as a player-coach.

On the other hand, six percent of readers sided with the Portuguese captain. They believe Jorge Jesus went back on his word and that, given the current situation, there is room for only one of the two in the national team.

The remaining three percent believe the final decision should be left to Tiago Craveiro and Simão Coutinho, two of Ronaldo’s close associates who took part in talks with the coach.

Ronaldo attempted through his statement to present his side of the story and explain why he left the national team camp. However, the results of the A Bola poll suggest that his statement failed to convince a large portion of Portuguese fans.

The message from more than 25,000 poll participants is clear — the majority of them no longer want to see Cristiano Ronaldo in the national team jersey.