Mourinho, Ten Hag and others: the Jesus crisis reopens Ronaldo's black file

Ronaldo's desire to leave Manchester United for Real Madrid reached its peak in the summer of 2008, when he seized on controversial remarks from then-FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who had likened stopping a player from leaving his club to something resembling "modern slavery".

The forward told Portuguese television: "That's true, I agree with what the FIFA president said. I know what I want and what I desire, and we have to see what will happen. I don't know where I'll start next season".

United refused to budge. Five successful years at Old Trafford had not softened their stance, and they forced Ronaldo to wait another season before he finally landed his dream move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009.

In December 2008, Ronaldo suddenly left the pitch during Manchester United's 1-0 win over Sunderland, heading straight down the tunnel towards the dressing rooms. His exit left the side with ten men and forced the coaching staff to deal with an unexpected situation.

Sir Alex Ferguson leapt to his player's defence. A kick to the hip area meant Ronaldo needed treatment immediately, the manager explained, and there was no need for him to return to the bench.

The incident revealed a side of Ronaldo's personality. Crowned with the first Ballon d'Or of his career just days earlier, he had begun to show his displeasure publicly in certain situations.

The scene played out again in May 2009, when Ferguson pulled Ronaldo off during the clash with Manchester City. The forward had curled in the opener from a free-kick in the 18th minute, and United went on to win 2-0.

Hauled off in the 60th minute for Paul Scholes, Ronaldo made no effort to hide his fury. He sat on the bench for several minutes, shaking his head in frustration.

That strike proved to be Ronaldo's last goal in a Manchester United shirt before his return to the club 12 years later.

Three years after his move to Real Madrid, Ronaldo stirred controversy once more in September 2012. He scored twice in the 3-0 win over Granada in La Liga, yet celebrated neither goal.

"I am sad over a professional matter, and the club knows this," the Portuguese star said after the match. "That is why I do not celebrate my goals, because I am not happy. The people here know the reason."

Ronaldo refused to say any more, and no clear explanation emerged for what he meant at the time. He later denied money was the cause, then signed a new contract with the club a year on.

Ronaldo and Jose Mourinho started well enough together at Real Madrid. Their relationship soured over time, though, and the cracks had widened by the end of the 2012-2013 campaign, the Portuguese coach's last at the Spanish capital club.

One sign of the breakdown came in January that year, according to the report, when the pair clashed in the dressing room after a Copa del Rey tie against Valencia.

Mourinho left Real Madrid in June and returned to Chelsea. Speaking on the "Punto Pelota" programme, he said "Cristiano Ronaldo thinks he knows everything", a remark that laid bare just how far the tension between the two had gone.

Rafael Benítez lasted just six months at Real Madrid. He succeeded Carlo Ancelotti in June 2015 and was sacked the following January.

Speculation swirled during that spell over Ronaldo's unhappiness with the Spaniard's tactical approach. The forward's repeated praise of Ancelotti, whom he called a wonderful person and an outstanding coach, did nothing to ease the atmosphere.

Ronaldo made no secret of his wish to work with the Italian again, affectionately branding him a "big bear". Benítez, for his part, insisted his relationship with the Portuguese star remained a work in progress, a case of mutual adaptation.

Time ran out before those differences could be ironed out. Benítez left his post a month after making those remarks.

Nine years at Real Madrid and three seasons with Juventus behind him, Ronaldo looked ready for a fresh challenge in the summer of 2021.

He dropped out of Juventus' starting line-up for the opening match of the Italian league against Udinese, a game that finished 2-2, with reports claiming he had asked not to start.

The Italian club had initially dug in to keep their star man. Ronaldo himself had earlier branded reports linking him with a return to Real Madrid as "disrespectful".

Days later, he was back at Manchester United on the final day of the transfer window, having also been linked with a move to neighbours Manchester City.

In January 2022, Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick made a bold call during the clash with Brentford. With his side 2-0 up, he hauled off Ronaldo to shore up the defence, throwing on Harry Maguire and switching to a back three.

Ronaldo made no secret of his fury. He flung his coat to the ground as he trudged off, a reaction that prompted Rangnick to have words with him.

Rangnick called the response "normal". He even told Ronaldo he might make the very same decision himself once he becomes a manager one day.

United ran out 3-1 winners. The result vindicated Rangnick's tactical gamble.

A month later, Rangnick was forced to deny reports of a dispute between Ronaldo and Harry Maguire over the Manchester United captaincy, describing them as "absolute nonsense".

Maguire, according to reports at the time, felt threatened by the considerable influence Ronaldo held within the dressing room, especially among the younger players.

Rangnick stressed that he had not discussed changing the captain with any player. Maguire would keep the armband until the end of the season.

Tensions between Ronaldo and Manchester United reached their peak in the autumn of 2022, after his role diminished under new manager Erik ten Hag.

In October, Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute against Tottenham and walked down the tunnel before the final whistle. He had done something similar in a pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano.

His lengthy interview with broadcaster Piers Morgan effectively ended his second spell with the club.

Ronaldo took aim at a number of figures inside Manchester United. He said he did not respect Ten Hag and felt betrayed by senior officials. He also pointed out that he did not know Rangnick before the German took the job, and reckoned the club had made no progress since his first spell.

Both parties then agreed to part ways by mutual consent, and Ronaldo left the English club once again.

At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Portugal manager Fernando Santos dropped Ronaldo from his starting line-up for the round-of-16 clash against Switzerland.

Goncalo Ramos made the point for him. The replacement bagged a hat-trick in a 6-1 rout, handing his manager all the justification he needed.

Santos insisted the call was tactical, not a reaction to Ronaldo's fury at being substituted in the final group game. He had, though, already admitted he was unhappy with his captain's response.

Reports of a deepening crisis swirled before the quarter-final against Morocco. The Portuguese Federation hit back with a statement denying that Ronaldo had ever threatened to walk out on the national team.

His family were far from impressed with the decision to leave him out. Georgina Rodriguez voiced her regret that the best player in the world had not played the full 90 minutes, while his sister Elma Aveiro branded the snub an insult to a man who had given so much to his country.

The latest crisis dates back to September 2026, when Ronaldo walked out of the Portugal camp. Tensions over his role in the squad, his absence from the match against Norway and then Jorge Jesus's comments at the press conference all played their part.

Ronaldo said he decided to leave after the coach's press conference and a conversation with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, promising he would reveal the truth to the Portuguese people at the appropriate time.

A message to his teammates followed, wishing them success "without exception", a remark that raised further questions about the nature of the dispute.

The previous four years had brought relative calm compared with other stages of his career. Now Ronaldo's situation with his national team is back at the centre of controversy. He has kept scoring goals and collecting titles with Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia, and former coach Roberto Martínez backed him clearly through two major tournaments despite growing criticism of his role.

Jesus knows the player well. He worked with Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, but recent developments suggest the relationship between them is facing a difficult test.

One question looms largest. Does this crisis mark the end of an international career spanning more than two decades, or will Ronaldo return to turn the page on the dispute? The answer is not yet clear. Yet the history of the Portuguese star reveals that his relationship with coaches and technical decisions has, on numerous occasions, been part of his story both on and off the pitch.