Bruno Fernandes has called on Portuguese fans to respect Cristiano Ronaldo after the star’s dramatic exit from the national team camp.

“Cristiano Ronaldo deserves the respect of all Portuguese people, regardless of who likes him more or likes him less,” Fernandes said on October 3. He added that he had told Ronaldo he remains the greatest icon of the national team.

Ronaldo, 41, left the camp after a reported rift with head coach Jorge Jesus. He was left on the bench for Portugal’s 2-1 win over Norway on September 27 and walked out the next day, promising to reveal the truth later.

In Ronaldo’s absence, Fernandes took the armband and led Portugal to a 4-2 win over Denmark. Sections of fans appeared to back Jesus during that match.

Fernandes insisted the squad remains united and asked for the dispute to be settled internally. Portugal face Norway again on Sunday at the Estadio do Dragao in Porto, aiming for a fourth straight Nations League win.