Fernandes reveals behind-the-scenes work with Jesus and talks about Ronaldo's absence from Portugal

The Portuguese Bruno Fernandes, captain of the Portugal national team and Manchester United player, talked about the period he worked under coach Jorge Jesus at Sporting Lisbon, noting that the coach played an important role in his rise to the higher levels of Portuguese football.

Fernandes said at a press conference: "After the reprimand I received, I did what Jesus wanted. The coach is the one who brought me to the big pitches in Portugal, and I know that there is a reprimand that must be endured from time to time, some of which is justified and some of which is less so," before adding with a laugh: "Sometimes he is right and sometimes he is not."

The captain of Portugal explained that Jesus's intensity in dealing with players stems from his great confidence in their abilities, saying: "The demands that the coach places on the players come from his belief in the quality we possess, and in what we can do and offer to the national team."

Fernandes added that Jesus' words at half-time of the last match helped him improve his performance: "The first half was not good enough for me, but there are points that need to be improved in both halves. The coach's words made me better in the second half, and that was very positive for me and the team and helped us achieve victory."

Fernandes addressed the controversy surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo's absence, confirming that the Al Nassr star remains part of the Portugal national team. He said: "Cristiano is part of the team. He did not play in the second and third matches, but he participated in the first match. We know the process we are going through, and the most important thing is to put all the noise aside and focus on what we are doing well on the pitch."