The crisis between Cristiano Ronaldo and the Portugal national team has triggered a digital earthquake in the accounts of the Portuguese Football Federation and coach Jorge Jesus, despite the 4-2 win over Denmark in the UEFA Nations League.
It all erupted in the Copenhagen camp. Ronaldo then announced his departure, hinting that the coach had broken promises over an agreement regarding his participation against Norway and Denmark.
Portuguese newspaper "A Bola" said that "Ronaldo's decision translated into unprecedented bleeding in the accounts of both the Portugal national team and Jesus on social media platforms.
After Ronaldo walked out, Lisbon "woke up" to banners supporting him and attacking Jesus near the Portuguese capital's airport, in an expression of mounting fan anger". The paper confirmed: "The Portugal national team's platforms recorded the loss of around two million followers since the crisis erupted. The digital bleeding reached its peak on Thursday, the day of the match against Denmark, when around one million users decided within just 24 hours to stop following the national team's official channels, turning a day of sporting triumph into a nightmare of image and reputation management".
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Jesus pays the price for his clash with Ronaldo
It continued: "The head coach was also not spared from the impact of the controversy, as Jorge Jesus personally felt the wave of protest from Ronaldo's fans, recording a drop approaching 100,000 followers on his personal platforms". A Bola commented: "This phenomenon reflects the scale of the disconnect between a large segment of fans and the structure led by the coach, who had already been the target of boos when leaving the hotel and after a quick interview at the Parken Stadium".
Ronaldo unaffected: the opposite direction
The report confirmed: "Cristiano Ronaldo's personal brand remains immune to erosion, and continues to show its global power. Despite his decision in Copenhagen and his urgent return to Madrid, the Portuguese star recorded a significantly positive balance in follower numbers, strengthening his position as he remains the most influential figure in world sport on social media platforms".
It concluded: "This showed the direct shift of loyalty on the part of millions of fans, who chose to support the player at the expense of the Portugal national team and the head coach".