Ronaldo’s wife Georgina gets involved, attacks Jorge Jesus with fake Ferguson quote over how he treated her husband

The fallout from Cristiano Ronaldo's sudden Portugal departure has now reached his family, with Georgina Rodríguez appearing to take aim at Jorge Jesus in a social media post that was deleted shortly afterwards. The message also carried another complication, because the statement used to criticise the Portugal coach was wrongly attributed to one of the most influential figures in Ronaldo's career, Sir Alex Ferguson.Georgina Rodriguez deletes Instagram post aimed at Jorge JesusRodríguez reportedly shared the post on her Instagram story on Saturday evening, criticising Jesus over the circumstances surrounding Ronaldo's departure from the Portugal camp.The post originated from the Hispanic Sports Media page, which continues to have the material published on Instagram, although the statement itself carries no credible source attribution and has not been reported by major media outlets across several European countries.According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Rodríguez's post used a quote that had been falsely attributed to former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who recruited Ronaldo for Manchester United in 2003.The false quote read: “If Jorge Jesus knew in his heart that he didn't intend to use him, then why did he call him up in the first place? To take a stand? That's not authority, that's insecurity.”Rodríguez was also reportedly said to have added her own comment above the statement, writing: “I don't know how this man can bear the name of Christ.”The report said Rodríguez deleted the post a short time later, although screenshots of the Instagram story have continued circulating.Ronaldo's departure followed Jesus leaving him unused against NorwayThe post came only days after Ronaldo walked out of the Portugal camp on Wednesday, September 30, following the team's Nations League victory over Norway.Jesus decided against bringing Ronaldo onto the pitch despite sending the forward to warm up for around 30 minutes, with the decision becoming the immediate backdrop to the controversy that followed.An emergency meeting involving Ronaldo, Jesus and Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença took place after the match, but the discussions did not prevent Ronaldo from leaving the national team set-up.A report from El Chiringuito journalist Edu Aguirre, who is described as a close friend of Ronaldo, claimed that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner felt “betrayed” by the developments, while Jesus had also indicated that he would explain his position after Portugal's following match against Norway.Ronaldo confirmed his departure in a statement posted on social media, writing: “After the press conference of the national team and following a conversation with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, I have decided to leave the national team training camp.”He added: “In time, I will tell all the Portuguese the truth about the reasons that motivated me to leave.”Jorge Jesus plays down Ronaldo dispute as family criticism growsJesus has rejected suggestions that an explosive confrontation took place between himself and Ronaldo, insisting that the situation developed from a footballing decision rather than any personal dispute.“There was no incident whatsoever,” Jesus said. “Any player - and I was a player myself - when you spend 20 or 30 minutes warming up and then don't get on, no-one is happy about that.”Jesus also explained that he had spoken to Ronaldo before the match about his role against Denmark, telling the forward that he would not start but could still enter the game later.“Afterwards, as coach, I decided not to bring him on,” Jesus added. “It's nothing to make a fuss about.”The criticism from Ronaldo's family has nevertheless continued, with his sister Elma dos Santos Aveiro also sharing her views on Instagram two days earlier.“Cristiano deserved more respect. The national team deserved better infrastructure. Portuguese journalism deserves greater competence and less speculation,” the text began.“The Portuguese don’t deserve to be the best at anything. We are envious, contemptuous and ignorant, and we deserve to return to the mediocrity that always defined us in soccer before Cristiano,” it continued before thanking Ronaldo and saying that he “deserved more”.Aveiro made clear that she agreed with the assessment by adding: “That says it all.”Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.