Portuguese authorities have moved to address the actions of a number of fans who were keen to support Cristiano Ronaldo, the national team star, against his coach, Jorge Jesus.
Ronaldo had entered into a severe crisis with Jorge Jesus following his lack of participation in the match against Norway in the Nations League, before the Portuguese coach made strong statements ahead of the Denmark fixture, which resulted in the Al-Nassr star leaving the team camp.
The Portuguese newspaper Record reported that the capital, Lisbon, woke up this morning, Friday, to banners flooding the streets, supporting Ronaldo against Jesus.
The report indicated that these signs, some placed along Lisbon's second ring road and others near the headquarters of the Portuguese Football Federation, carried messages thanking Ronaldo for his career with the national team and affirming that he "will always be our captain."
The messages also included criticisms of Jorge Jesus, accusing him of failing to "rise to the occasion" and showing a "lack of sensitivity in dealing with a pillar as important as Cristiano."
For its part, the Portuguese network 24Notícias reported that the Lisbon municipality removed the posters supporting Ronaldo, which had spread throughout the capital, deeming them illegal.
It clarified that investigations are still ongoing to identify the entity behind this campaign and its source of funding; no official link connecting it to Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese Football Federation, or any sports club has been detected so far.
The Portugal national team had defeated their hosts, Denmark, by four goals to two, in the match played between the two teams last Thursday evening at Parken Stadium, as part of the third round of the group stage of the UEFA Nations League.
