Sérgio Conceição addresses Ronaldo-Jesus clash: "It doesn't seem fair to take sides..."

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport's La Tripletta, Sérgio Conceição touched upon several current topics, ranging from the recent controversy surrounding his son, Francisco, at Juventus, to the dispute between Jorge Jesus and Cristiano Ronaldo in the national team, which saw the forward leave the squad's camp during the Nations League.

Asked about the situation between the national team captain and manager, the former FC Porto boss took a diplomatic approach: "It's a sensitive subject in my country. Cristiano is a legend, one of the five greatest footballers in history. Meanwhile, Jesus is the national coach, a highly respected and experienced manager. Honestly, it doesn't seem fair to take sides."

Addressing the controversy involving his son—specifically his angry reaction to being substituted against Celta Vigo in the Europa League—he played down the incident: "We start from a clear principle: the manager is always right. If Spalletti thought that substitution was best, he had his reasons. However, you also have to understand the frustration of a player who wanted to give more. In my team, I always want a player with personality who gets upset at being taken off, rather than someone who couldn't care less. These are normal moments in football—perhaps not great to see, but they shouldn't be blown out of proportion."

"There's a narrative around Chico that I don't like: he is a winger, not a striker. All the work he puts in for his teammates, both attacking and defending, goes underappreciated: he creates overloads, runs, takes players on, creates space... When he plays well or scores, people still say he could offer more, but if he doesn't score, the criticism pours in. The stick is fine, but now and then a little carrot wouldn't hurt either. That's my assessment as a manager, and keep in mind I even coached him. Because as a father, on the contrary, I get annoyed with him every time he takes a shot and doesn't score [laughs]," he emphasized.

The manager also reflected on the special significance of this Sunday's clash between Juventus and Lazio. His son currently plays for the Bianconeri, while he made his own debut for the Rome club in August 1998 against the Old Lady, scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 victory. He joked when asked who he would be backing: "If I were at home, Francisco, because family comes first. But at the stadium, who knows [laughs]."

The Portuguese tactician also recalled his time at AC Milan and sent a message of support to compatriot Ruben Amorim. "When I was there, [Milan owner Gerry] Cardinale never visited Milanello. I believe he sent me a congratulatory message after the Super Cup, but I didn't reply because I didn't even have his number and only read it much later (...) I know Amorim well: we had some fierce battles in Portugal, with me managing FC Porto and him at Sporting. I wish him every success in Milan."

In a lighthearted exchange, Conceição was also asked who was the better Portuguese winger between himself and his son: "Sérgio [laughs]. But the greatest is still Luís Figo." Even with Ronaldo in the mix? "Oof, that's a tough one. But as an out-and-out winger, I might still go with Figo—a true champion."