Georgina Rodriguez, wife of Cristiano Ronaldo, swiftly deleted a social media post that criticised Portugal manager Jorge Jesus and used fake quotes attributed to Sir Alex Ferguson.
Ronaldo's fallout with Portugal boss
Ronaldo has caused a storm in Portugal after leaving the national team during the current Nations League international break. The Al-Nassr star fell out with Jesus after being left on the bench for a 2-1 win over Norway and has left his international career in major doubt.
The 41-year-old held a crisis meeting with the Portuguese FA before departing and posted a statement on social media promising he would "tell all" about what happened "in time". His disagreement with the veteran manager, who also coached him at Al-Nassr last season, has dominated the build-up to Portugal's second match against Norway on Sunday night.
Fake quote shared and deleted
Rodriguez shared a post to her 78 million Instagram followers claiming to quote former Manchester United manager Ferguson. It read: "If Jorge Jesus knew in his heart that he had no intention of using him, then why did he call him up in the first place? To make a point? That’s not authority, that’s insecurity."
In a caption, Rodriguez added: "I don’t know how this man (Jesus) can carry the name of Christ." The post was online for only a matter of minutes before disappearing from her Instagram story on Saturday night. It is unclear why she deleted it, but the quotes from Ferguson are fake.
Ronaldo's future and manager's stance
Ronaldo had stayed in Europe over the past few days, hinting that a bridge could be built between Portugal's all-time record goalscorer and the manager. But he is reportedly planning to take a private jet back to Saudi Arabia and focus on club football in Riyadh.
Jesus has taken a firm stance on the striker, who has 146 goals in 234 caps. The 72-year-old has made it clear that Goncalo Ramos is his preferred option up front and that Ronaldo would have to learn to play second fiddle.
"The focus has to be on the national team above all else," Jesus told a press conference on Saturday. "Regarding Norway, what we have to do well is for our people to also be in tune with the flag and the objective. Ronaldo is a symbol of the national team and of Portugal. After the game, there is plenty of time to talk about that."
Meanwhile, Bruno Fernandes revealed he had spoken to Ronaldo but would continue to toe the line. "I had a conversation with Cris," the Manchester United captain said. "What I told him is that the most important thing, regardless of what happens, is that he will never cease to be the greatest symbol of our national team and country, for everything he has done in Portugal and around the world."
"He has a reserved place not only among the best of all time, but also in the hearts of the Portuguese people. We cannot divide ourselves; the national team is one, and all parties should resolve their issues behind closed doors."
