AC Milan forward Gonçalo Ramos recently gave an interview to Portugal's Canal 11, discussing Ronaldo's departure from the Portugal national team training camp.
Gonçalo Ramos spoke about his position in the Portugal national team, his relationship with Ronaldo, and the new phase the team has entered under Jorge Jesus. The Milan forward stated that his opportunities to play do not necessarily mean that the Portugal captain must be excluded from the starting lineup.
Gonçalo Ramos said: "We respect Ronaldo's status, but I believe that many times we can absolutely play together. We can give me more playing opportunities based on my form and goal-scoring performance, without having to drop Ronaldo. In fact, we have played together before. On October 13, 2023, in the match against Slovakia at Estádio do Dragão, we played together and performed well. It wasn't just him and me then; the whole team played very well.
"This is entirely feasible; there's no need to drop one player to play another. All kinds of arrangements are possible. For me, the important thing is that I get to play, but I don't specifically want someone else to leave the lineup. That's the coach's decision."
Gonçalo Ramos also discussed Ronaldo's departure from the national team camp during a recent call-up, admitting that the entire team found it strange at the time.
Gonçalo Ramos stated: "It was a somewhat strange situation. We had a training session, and when we arrived at the training ground, we found that Ronaldo was no longer there. This kind of situation is always difficult; the outside world speculates a lot, and there's a lot of negative talk surrounding the national team.
"This is Ronaldo, no introduction needed for him. He is our captain, yet he left the national team camp. Of course, everything he does, whether good or not so good, causes a huge reaction. It made us wonder: 'What exactly happened?' At the time, it even felt a bit unreal. During training, we noticed he wasn't there, and then someone told us he had left."
Despite the controversy, Ramos said the team tried to focus on the match against Denmark. Ramos scored in that 4-2 victory. He also stated that he would welcome Ronaldo's return if he was re-selected for Jorge Jesus's squad in the November training camp.
Gonçalo Ramos said: "If Ronaldo truly wants to leave the national team, there should be a proper farewell that matches his image, historical status, and identity. Most importantly, his historical contributions and everything he has done for the nation, the national team, and the Portuguese Football Federation must be recognized. He inspired all of us. If he wants to leave, he should do it properly."
Gonçalo Ramos added: "Will we get emotional and stop talking to him because of a decision he made in the heat of the moment? Such things can indeed happen. But if Ronaldo joins the next training camp, we will all be there. I will greet him as before and won't bring it up. If he wants to resolve the issue, he can talk to the coach and the federation. If he wants to talk to us, we will listen. But I don't think anyone would blame him for this."
On the new phase in the national team
Currently, Ramos is enjoying a strong spell with the Portugal national team, having scored 3 goals in his first four matches under Jorge Jesus. He emphasized the coach's impact on how the team operates and his increased playing time.
Gonçalo Ramos said: "When Jorge Jesus was announced as the coach, I was very happy. I immediately felt that my chances of getting playing time would be greater because, previously, I had almost no playing time. This was a new beginning.
"However, as soon as I joined the team, the Ronaldo situation happened. It was reported that he would participate in the first and fourth matches. I knew that the second and third matches would be good opportunities for me; at that time, my competitors were me and Fábio Silva.
"Ultimately, everything went very smoothly, and I seized the opportunity. After a strong performance in the second match, I also ensured I participated in the third match. Then that series of events happened, and I ended up participating in the fourth match, proving my ability."
On Martinez
Finally, when asked about Martinez's tenure as Portugal national team coach, the Milan forward regrettably stated that he did not receive many opportunities from the Spanish coach.
Gonçalo Ramos stated: "I missed out on the 2024 European Championship (editor's note: he participated but did not get enough opportunities), only playing in the match against Georgia, but that match was already decided. In this year's World Cup, I scored against Croatia, but besides that, the tournament was disappointing for me; I hardly got any playing time.
"I played 10 minutes against DR Congo and then didn't play for two consecutive matches. Against Croatia, I played 30 minutes, and against Spain, I didn't play.
"The coach made his decisions, but it was difficult for me. I had proven that I could contribute significantly to the team."