In brief
Morgan said on Football Uncensored on 8 October that he sent Ronaldo the clip of his talkSPORT exchange with Simon Jordan that morning and that Ronaldo answered within hours.
The relayed message tells Morgan to tell Jordan to stop with the botox because he looks like an apple, a remark Morgan returned by calling Jordan a suspiciously smooth apple.
Jordan told Morgan on the talkSPORT programme that he has no credibility and that his commentary on Ronaldo is sycophantic, biased and one-dimensional.
The Sun, as cited by Sportowe Fakty, reports Ronaldo left the Portugal camp after a conflict with coach Jorge Jesus, who substituted him in the 67th minute of the first match according to Morgan.
The talkSPORT clash
On Wednesday, 7 October, Piers Morgan and businessman Simon Jordan argued on the talkSPORT programme White & Jordan about Cristiano Ronaldo's responsibility for a run of recent controversies. Jordan, the former Crystal Palace chairman, accused Morgan of licking the forward's boots in a servile way and asked whether Ronaldo's own behaviour could be the common factor behind the conflicts. Morgan, a personal friend of Ronaldo, has defended the Portugal forward and criticised coach Jorge Jesus since the row began, according to SAPO. The exchange ended with Jordan's sharpest words on air.
“No? Then you are an idiot.”
Morgan reads out the reply
On Football Uncensored, Morgan said he had sent Ronaldo the video of the exchange that morning and that Ronaldo answered within hours. Morgan presented the reply as his "breaking news" about the forward and read it out on air, with a laugh. The message, as Morgan relayed it, reads:
“That blonde guy, tell him to stop with the botox. He looks like an apple.”
Morgan then turned the jibe back on Jordan, telling him he was an apple with a "suspiciously smooth" face. Portuguese outlets Notícias ao Minuto and JN carried the same account, with Morgan attributing the words to Ronaldo directly.
Jordan's reply
Jordan responded on the talkSPORT programme the same day, saying Morgan had no credibility and that his remarks were "sycophantic, biased and one-dimensional". He called the defence of Ronaldo "utter nonsense" and urged Morgan to stop sharing news about the forward.
“You have no credibility, Piers. Please don't do this, there is no reason for you to give us news about Cristiano Ronaldo.”
The dispute with Jorge Jesus
The personal exchange sits on top of a squad dispute. According to The Sun, as cited by Sportowe Fakty, Ronaldo left the Portugal squad camp after a conflict with coach Jorge Jesus and was unhappy at not appearing in the match against Norway. Morgan maintains that Jesus had agreed with Ronaldo a plan under which he would play the first two matches and rest for the next two. In the first match Ronaldo was reportedly told he would play 90 minutes, but he was substituted in the 67th minute and later, despite a long warm-up, did not enter the pitch. Fanpage reports that in a letter Ronaldo said the coach had gone back on his word. Sportowe Fakty reports that in a statement Ronaldo apologised for the confusion while arguing the coach had broken earlier agreements and tried to humiliate him in public. Jordan judged that the 41-year-old had reacted badly, while Morgan defends him out of personal sympathy.
Fanpage adds that Portugal's president has tried to mediate, though a settlement appears difficult at present given the strong characters of the coach and the forward.