Portugal's national team will host Norway in the fourth round of the UEFA Nations League. Ahead of the match, head coach Jorge Jesus held a press conference to discuss topics including Ronaldo, players' physical condition, and preparations for the match against Norway. This is the first part of that press conference.

We're live for Canal 11. You said that Portugal's first match was ordinary, the second was slightly better, and the third was very good. I'd like to ask: what are your expectations for the fourth match, against Norway? What kind of performance do you expect your team to show?

What do I want, and what do I expect? I hope we can win, which would essentially secure our qualification for the quarter-finals. It would be even better if we could repeat the performance we showed against Denmark in Copenhagen. We played very well in that match, with many moments demonstrating high quality, thanks to the exceptional individual abilities of Portugal's players.

These are the two things I most want to see. However, in football, what we want doesn't always happen. We think that way, but in some matches, it doesn't work out. That's my expectation. I hope Portugal can win and secure direct qualification at home. That's what I most want to achieve.

SIC Reporter: Hello, Coach. I know you only want to discuss the Cristiano Ronaldo situation after the match, but I'd like to ask whether you're willing to reconcile with the Portugal national team captain?

But how do you know I want to wait until after the match to discuss it? I haven't said anything yet.

So, are you willing to discuss what happened between you and Cristiano Ronaldo with us now?

No, of course not. The focus must be on the Portugal national team; everything must prioritize the Portugal national team. And Norway, because Norway is the opponent for this match. We need to focus on doing our work well, and we also hope our fans will support us, working for the same flag and the same goal.

But this doesn't mean I can ignore Ronaldo, and you can't ignore him either. Ronaldo is a symbol of the Portugal national team, and a symbol of Portugal. That needs to be understood. Regarding your question, after the match, we'll have plenty of time to discuss it.

Sport TV Reporter: Your team has some experienced players, and one of them is sitting next to you (Bruno Fernandes), but there are also some young players. Currently, the whole world is watching Portugal's national team, but it could be said the reason isn't entirely positive. How do you handle the impact of such public opinion? What role do your experienced players play in this? Also, over the past twenty-four hours, the topic of "reconciliation" has surrounded the team. For you, is this something that doesn't even need to be discussed because you clearly want reconciliation? Or does some kind of consensus need to be reached between both parties first?

No. For now, I'll continue to focus on what I just said—concentrating on the team and our opponent. In my view, Norway is one of the top five teams in Europe and has some very outstanding players. You know this as well as I do. So we must stay focused; that's what matters.

After that, we'll all have time to analyze what might happen next. To answer your question about the young players, the new players in Portugal... you mean players, right? Not young people who don't play football?

Regarding young players in Portugal, we still have two more matches, and things could be different then. But the requirement is that we must secure qualification tomorrow.

RTP Reporter: When you answered the first question, you spoke about expectations for securing qualification at Estádio do Dragão. I'd like to ask: what kind of support and affection do you expect from the stands tomorrow? Also, have you communicated with the Portugal national team captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, in recent days?

The support and affection I expect should be centered on what the Portugal national team represents. This support should be for the team, for the players, not specifically for me personally. I'm part of the team, a link in the team, and the team's leader.

So this also involves the support and affection of the fans for their country, for our country. Before becoming Portugal's national team coach, I was also a devoted fan, a very passionate fan of the Portugal national team. I don't focus on who the coach is or on any particular player. I focus on my flag, my country, and that's what I want to see. I don't want to separate myself; I always want to be part of the Portugal national team.

CMTV Reporter: You've repeatedly said that Cristiano Ronaldo has his own position. You also are a coach with a position, and you may be starting to leave your own mark on the Portugal national team. I'd like to ask whether your position also allows you to really say what you want about this matter? Also, the World Cup is coming, and Portugal will likely participate under your leadership. Cristiano Ronaldo should be, and perhaps should be, an ambassador for that World Cup. Will this incident affect that arrangement?

Listen, I won't deviate from the current focus. I won't... You've asked me several questions, and I understand that asking questions is a journalist's job. But we're already talking about 2026, which is four years away. Football evolves day by day, not even month by month, but day by day, match by match.

Tomorrow's match is what matters most—that's against Norway. Both teams will play with high quality, and it will be a very intense match. That's all I want to talk about. There's no need now to steer the conversation and the issues we're facing in another direction, because the current issue is Norway.

Coach, hello. I'm Rafael Fernandes from Bola. Regarding tomorrow's match, you've made some adjustments before each match. I'd like to ask about João Felix and Francisco Conceição's situations; could they be options for you tomorrow?

Yes, that's right. Typically, we adjust a maximum of four players per match—at least that's what happened in the first three matches. This doesn't mean I can't adjust a fifth player, going from four to five. It all depends on the players' physical condition and what they show me.

This is our fourth match. Players who have more playing time are starting to feel accumulated fatigue and also face an increased risk of injury. This is true not only now, and not only for Portugal's players, but also for players on other teams. They cannot maintain the same physical condition.

So tomorrow we'll adjust some players who are carrying a heavy load. As for the players who have recovered, like I said, Felix has recovered, and I think he has. Why do I say "I think"? Because we still have one more training session. Today's training will give me a better understanding of Felix and Francisco Conceição's situations.

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