Portugal will face Denmark away in the third round of the UEFA Nations League group stage. Ahead of the match, Ruben Dias attended a press conference to address the controversy surrounding Ronaldo and spoke about the team's defensive performance, his experience working with Jesus again, and preparations for the match against Denmark.

Ruben, you are one of the team's captains and arguably a significant presence in the locker room. Tomorrow you face Denmark, but there are still many unanswered questions about the controversies surrounding Portugal's captain, Ronaldo. As one of the captains and based on your experience, how do you view these recent events?

For me, and I think for the whole team as well, there are no outstanding issues. We are ready for tomorrow's match.

Hello, Ruben. As one of the captains, what do you think about the team's first captain not thanking the fans after such an important victory? Also, he has held this position in the Portugal national team for over a decade. Is this status he now has, or has always had, becoming more of a problem or a solution for you all?

That was just a moment of frustration lasting ten, fifteen, or twenty seconds, which will not affect his commitment to the Portugal national team over twenty years. There was that brief moment of frustration, but five or ten minutes later, we were all in the locker room celebrating an important victory together. That victory was important for all of us. And for the second question, could you please repeat it?

Does this status make the situation difficult to manage, affecting the entire Portugal national team? After all, he is the team's captain.

No, no. I don't think there's any such risk at all.

Following up on my colleague's question, given what has happened over the past two days, can you guarantee that there is no friction within the Portugal national team? Is your attitude towards the captain, and his attitude towards you, the same as before?

I understand the question. But the reality is, if you watch us train today, you'll see our joy, you'll see us smiling, you'll see us happy. This is a new cycle, and everyone is excited to embark on this new journey. We've already secured two victories, and we're looking forward to the upcoming matches.

You've now attended pre-match press conferences twice after controversies. The first was during Martinez's tenure, regarding players going to the beach; this time it's the Ronaldo situation. Do you feel that you might soon become the team's first captain?

Well, we'll see about that later; time will tell. However, rather than focusing on that question, I'd like to say that since I joined the Portugal national team, the captaincy order has always been determined by the number of caps a player has, and caps naturally come with accumulated experience. We still follow this method today. Things will naturally evolve as they should. I am here today, as in the past, to defend the Portugal national team and our country.

Ruben, we've talked a lot about Ronaldo. The Portugal national team achieved an important victory in Norway. After that match, what is the team's current state of readiness for the game here? After all, playing in this stadium has always been difficult based on past experience.

Indeed, playing here is not easy. They are a very efficient, well-rounded, and threatening team. Both recent encounters and their past performances have made this very clear to us.

So we know that only by performing at our best can we win here. That's what we're thinking about right now. We hope to deliver a strong performance tomorrow and to enjoy the game. After all, this is our first opportunity to play so many matches for the Portugal national team in one training camp. For us, playing in this jersey is a great joy. So we hope to play with a smile and win the game.

I'd like to ask about the team's defense. Jorge Jesus has spoken many times about your defensive performance in the first two matches. How has your defensive approach changed compared to the past? Also, you are working with Jorge Jesus again. Has he changed at all? How does this reunion feel?

This reunion feels great. To answer the first question, there have been many changes. I think this will be our first important step towards our goals. As the coach often says, a team that defends well is closer to victory. I believe this, and I think all of us strongly believe this. I feel that the coach's influence on the team, his philosophy, and our acceptance and implementation of these ideas are gradually becoming more evident on the field.

As for me personally, this also relates to your second question. I have worked with the coach before. What I want to say most is that when these arrangements make sense, things become much easier.

Coincidentally, the Portugal national team has encountered three very physically strong teams in this group. From a player's perspective and based on the coach's requirements, will your playing style differ when facing such teams compared to those with better technique and a more open playing style? Will this also affect your management of physical exertion?

Yes, of course, we must adapt our playing style to the situation we face. But I don't think this means changing our own way of playing. Not now, nor in the future. It's more about knowing who we are up against, understanding what threats each team might pose. On this basis, we also need to know which moments specifically require us to be tough and stable. Beyond that, we still need to play our own game, showcase our abilities, and our own playing style.

Of course, this is a new cycle with new ideas. In this initial stage, we need to embrace these ideas as early as possible and implement them as efficiently as possible.

However, we always need to make some adjustments. The matches in this group do place a strong emphasis on physical confrontation, and the opponents are strong. But to some extent, this only makes us look forward to such challenges even more. Because this is a special phase, and a very important phase for our growth, especially in this new cycle.

AF's PC site is now live! Browse full news, comments, match details and stats on your computer. Visit: www.allfootballapp.com