Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus insisted the fallout from Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from the national team camp would not disrupt his squad, after a 4-2 win over Denmark in Copenhagen on Thursday moved them to three wins from three in the Nations League.
Joao Cancelo gave Portugal an early lead in the 13th minute, before Mikkel Damsgaard's superb curling effort levelled things for Denmark ten minutes later, setting the stage for a chaotic and entertaining contest in front of a hostile home crowd.
Goncalo Ramos restored Portugal's advantage soon after, only for Rasmus Hojlund to draw Denmark level once more eight minutes into the second half, before Vitinha scored his first international goal to put Portugal back in front for good.
Joao Felix, Ronaldo's club teammate at Al Nassr, added gloss late on to complete a fourth win in as many matches since Jesus took charge, with the result coming without Ronaldo, whose international future now appears in serious doubt.
Jesus was asked directly whether his players remained behind him amid the ongoing saga.
"There's no reason for them not to be behind me. What matters is what we have to do. Things happen, they don't divide the team, and they won't divide us," he said.
The coach also addressed Ronaldo's standing within Portuguese football more broadly, careful not to diminish his legacy despite the circumstances of his exit.
"No one can take away what Cristiano represents. He is an icon, and that is not something that can be debated," he said.
Jesus made clear he intended to give his own account of events only once the current international window concludes. "I will explain everything after the last match. I have been in football for many years and I know that I did nothing that should have caused things to turn out differently," he said.
Vitinha backed his manager's version of events, insisting the squad had deliberately shut out the noise surrounding Ronaldo's exit to focus purely on performances. "We tried to stay out of it. We focused on the game and succeeded. Congratulations to the whole team for that," he said.
There's no reason for them not to be behind me. What matters is what we have to do. Things happen, they don't divide the team, and they won't divide us.Jorge Jesus, Portugal head coach
The midfielder also credited Jesus directly for the team's rapid improvement since his appointment, particularly going forward.
"Defensively we've always been strong, but we've taken a step forward on offence. The coach's work is starting to pay off, and that's how we want to keep it," he said.
Portugal will close out their extended international break on Sunday against Norway in Porto, with Vitinha hoping for a sold out Dragao stadium as the side chase a fourth consecutive win under their new head coach.