Jorge Jesus, the Portugal coach, expressed his satisfaction after tonight's 4-2 victory against Denmark in the UEFA Nations League.
Jesus said in comments published by the Portuguese newspaper "A Bola": "What made me happiest was certainly the win. This was our third match, and I feel that the team is improving from one game to the next."
The Portugal coach added: "We are developing based on our analysis of matches, and usually the team performs better in the following game, whether defensively or offensively."
He continued: "Winning 4-2 here is not easy. The Danish national team is a great side and difficult to stop; they possess high technical skills and significant strength in set pieces, and we once again delivered a good defensive performance in this aspect."
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Jesus praised the high pressing executed by his players against Denmark: "It truly impressed me, and how the team believes in the effectiveness of defensive pressing. Playing in this manner is extremely difficult. Hjulmand congratulated me and told me that the Portuguese national team is wonderful."
When asked if he feels he has absolute control over the players, Jesus said: "I do not have the team in the palm of my hand. I have a team that believes in the coach's vision. They believe in my ideas, and given their high individual capabilities, things become easier. If this counts as having the team in the palm of my hand, then I indeed have it, because they walk alongside me and with my ideas."
Jesus spoke about the controversy surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo, who withdrew from the Portugal camp before traveling to Denmark: "That did not affect my focus. We will see what happens after the Dragão match, and until then, I must remain focused on the upcoming game, just as I was focused on today's match."
When asked if he would be able to maintain his focus following recent events, Jesus said: "It is not difficult for me to concentrate. Do you know what is difficult for me? Not understanding what is happening there and not knowing how to guide my players. That is the hard part for me. As for the rest, it is nothing. What matters is what we need to do. Events that occur do not divide the group; they did not divide us, and they will not divide us."
Jesus received a question regarding why Cristiano Ronaldo left the Portugal national team and whether he would agree to his return: "The Portugal national team delivered a world-class performance today, didn't they? That is the most important thing for me currently, and I did not hear any boos from our fans."
Jesus was also asked if he felt regret that some players enjoyed a greater status than others: "No, absolutely not. For me, this was our best match so far."
Jesus acknowledged: "The rules remain the same for everyone. This has always been my mentality throughout my career, and it will remain exactly so."
Concluding about his gesture towards the fans upon winning, Jesus said: "I always dance and celebrate with the fans after a win, even with Cristiano. I think everyone is happy because Portugal played wonderful football, showing maturity and bold ideas with firm belief in our ability to execute them during the match. I have a close relationship with the fans; I don't know if they are with me, but I would like things to be that way."
