Cristiano Ronaldo has been provisionally suspended by the Portuguese Football Federation after leaving Portugal’s international camp last month. The FPF said the provisional suspension was issued on 9 October and that the case has been marked as urgent. Ronaldo, the 41-year-old Portugal captain, walked out of the squad after being an unused substitute against Norway and then learning that he would not start against Denmark in the Nations League.
The Al-Nassr forward later set out his reasons in a lengthy statement, explaining that he left because Portugal coach Jorge Jesus had twice “broke his word”, which he described as an “absolute breach of trust”. He also published a near 2,000-word statement on Instagram in which he took aim at Jesus. Ronaldo apologised to supporters and team-mates while dismissing any suggestion that he had played his last match for Portugal, saying: “We will have one or more farewell matches, there will be time for that.”
Under the FPF’s rules, any player who fails to appear for international duty or walks out on it faces a ban of between one and six months, as well as a fine. Pedro Proenc, the FPF president, told the Portuguese outlet Record: “This is a time for calm and composure. We are all sitting down together at the table. There is a strong desire to have our captain back with us. There will be a normal disciplinary process.”
Ronaldo has accepted accountability for his actions and apologised to his team-mates and fans, adding that he deserved to be punished. He has also confirmed that he will not retire from international football as he continues his pursuit of 1,000 career goals. Jesus has said the door remains open for Ronaldo to return if he chooses to, but has not commented on the player’s latest statement.
The captain’s record for his country is without equal in the men’s game: he has scored 146 goals in 234 Portugal appearances, both men’s world records, and helped the national team win Euro 2016 and the Nations League twice. He considered retiring from international football after this summer’s World Cup but opted to continue, and he returned to action last week by scoring his 980th career goal in a 3-0 win for Al-Nassr over Diriyah Club.
The saga has been building for some time, with many supporters critical of former Portugal boss Roberto Martinez’s insistence on starting Ronaldo at this summer’s World Cup. Portuguese football journalist Jose Manuel Delgado told BBC Radio 5 Live he does not believe there is a way back for the forward, pointing out that Ronaldo says he will return to the national team in the same statement in which he calls Jesus a liar three times. Delgado added that polls in Portugal showed only 15% of people were on Ronaldo’s side, that the player’s time is done, and that however the situation ends, things will never be the same again. “What Ronaldo did for Portuguese football is unique and incredible and we must thank him for all the service he gave to Portugal. But at 41, he has no place in the best XI of Portugal,” he said.