Portugal host Norway in the UEFA Nations League matchday 4. Ahead of the match, manager Jorge Jesus held a press conference where he discussed various topics including Cristiano Ronaldo, player fitness, and preparations for the Norway match. Below is the first part of the press conference.

Canal 11: You said Portugal's first match was ordinary, the second was slightly better, and the third was excellent. What are your expectations for the fourth match against Norway? What level of performance do you hope to see from the team?

What do I hope for and expect? We hope to win and essentially secure qualification for the quarter-finals. If we can reproduce the performance we showed against Denmark in Copenhagen, that would be even better. We played very well in that match, and because of the excellent individual quality of the Portuguese players, there were many high-level moments.

These are the two things I most want to see. But in football, things don't always go the way we want. We can hope, but sometimes it just doesn't happen in a match. That's my expectation. I hope Portugal wins and secures qualification here at home. That's what I want most.

SIC journalist: Hello coach. You said you only wanted to talk about Cristiano Ronaldo's situation after the match, but I'd like to ask if you're willing to reconcile with Portugal's captain.

But how do you know I said I would talk after the match? I didn't say anything.

Then are you willing to tell us now about what happened between you and Cristiano Ronaldo?

No, of course not. The focus must be on the Portugal national team. Everything must prioritize the Portugal national team. And it's Norway, because our opponent is Norway. We need to focus on doing our job well, and I hope our people stand with us for one flag, one goal.

But this doesn't mean I can disregard Cristiano Ronaldo, and neither can you. Cristiano Ronaldo is a symbol of the Portuguese national team and a symbol of Portugal. This must be clear. As for your questions, there will be plenty of time to discuss this matter after the match.

Sport TV journalist: Your team has veteran players. One of them is sitting next to you (Bruno Fernandes). But you also have young players. The whole world is watching the Portugal national team right now, but it could be said the reasons aren't entirely positive. How do you handle this narrative? What role do the veterans play? Also, over the last 24 hours, the topic of "reconciliation" has surrounded the team. Is this clearly something you don't need to discuss because you want reconciliation? Or do both sides need to reach some kind of agreement first?

No. For now, I'll continue to focus on what I just said. I'll focus on the team and our opponent. In my view, Norway is one of Europe's top five teams and has very good players. You know this as well as I do. So we need to focus. That's the matter at hand.

After that, we'll all have time to analyze what happens next. To answer your question about the young players—are you asking about young players in Portugal, or about young people who don't play football?

Regarding young Portuguese players, we still have two matches left, and when that time comes, everything could be different. But first, we need to secure qualification tomorrow.

RTP journalist: When you answered the first question, you said you wanted to secure qualification at the Estádio da Luz. I'd like to ask what kind of support and affection you hope to receive from the crowd tomorrow. Also, have you been in contact with Portugal's captain Cristiano Ronaldo in recent days?

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

So this includes support and affection for the fans' country, our country. Even before becoming Portugal manager, I was a passionate fan, a very passionate fan of the Portugal national team. I don't focus on who the manager is or what specific players are involved. I focus on my flag, my country, and that's what I want to see. I don't want to be sidelined. I always want to be part of the Portugal national team.

CMTV journalist: You've said several times that Cristiano Ronaldo has his own standing. You're also a manager with standing, and you've perhaps begun to leave your mark on the Portugal national team. Does your standing allow you to say what you really want to say about this issue? Also, the upcoming World Cup will likely see Portugal participate under your guidance. Cristiano Ronaldo could have been, and perhaps should have been, an ambassador for that World Cup. Will this incident affect those plans?

Look, I won't deviate from the current focus. I understand you've asked multiple questions, and it's a journalist's job to ask questions. But we're already talking about 2030, which is four years away. Football evolves every day. Not every month, but every day, every match.

Tomorrow's match is what matters most. It's the match against Norway. Both teams will play at a high level, and the match will be very competitive. That's all I want to discuss. There's no need to shift the topic and focus away from the immediate challenge—Norway, not other matters.

Hello coach. I'm Rafael Fernandes from A Bola. I have a question about tomorrow's match. You've made some adjustments before each match. I'd like to ask about João Félix and Francisco Conceição. Could they be options for tomorrow's match?

Yes, that's right. Usually we make up to four substitutions per match. At least, that's what we did in the first three matches. That doesn't mean I can't make a fifth substitution. It all depends on the players' condition and what they show me.

This is our fourth match. Players who have played more minutes are beginning to feel the accumulated fatigue, and injury risk is increasing. This applies not only now and not only to Portuguese players but to players from other teams as well. They can't maintain the same physical condition.

So tomorrow we'll rotate some players who have played many matches. As for recovered players, as I said, João Félix has recovered. I think he's recovered. Why do I say "I think"? Because we still have training sessions ahead. Today's training session will give us a better idea of João Félix and Francisco Conceição's situation.

AI 번역.

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