Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes revealed the details of his conversation with teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, the star of the Portuguese national team.
The Portuguese national team will host Norway on Sunday evening in Matchday 4 of the UEFA Nations League group stage.
Bruno Fernandes said in comments during a press conference before the match, as reported by the Portuguese newspaper "Record": "I spoke with Cristiano Ronaldo and told him that he represents, and will always remain, the greatest symbol of our national team and our country."
Bruno Fernandes reveals the details of his conversation with Cristiano Ronaldo
He continued: "Our national team is united, not divided. Matters must be resolved internally and end well for both parties."
He added: "We had to cope with the pressure caused by the quality of the Norwegian team's performance; they are a squad full of talent featuring high-caliber players."
He emphasized: "We must appreciate their defensive performance. Perhaps we allowed them to create more chances than we would have liked, but we defended well. I believe the most important thing is achieving results, which becomes harder when playing away from home. These were three extremely important points."
He went on: "I was part of the transition period from Fernando Santos' era to Martínez's era. That was the challenge at hand. Every coach has their own style, and there are players who perform better under one coach compared to another."
He further stated: "I am deeply grateful to coaches Fernando Santos and Roberto Martínez. We responded very quickly to the coach's requirements, especially defensively, which was crucial. We have already seen the results. It is true that there are aspects that still need improvement, but reality confirms that the players have adapted well. However, once we suffer our first defeat, people will emerge saying that the players do not fully grasp the coach's ideas."
