Cristiano Ronaldo said he is not retiring from the Portugal national team and that he deserves to be punished for walking out of the squad's training camp last week. The 41-year-old forward accuses manager Jorge Jesus of breaking his word to him twice, a conflict that led the captain to leave camp ahead of the match against Denmark.
Ronaldo issued a lengthy statement, running to nearly 2,000 words, detailing the disagreement. His dissatisfaction began after being an unused substitute in the 2-1 win over Norway on 4 October. The player claims a plan had been agreed with Jesus to manage his fitness, which would have excused him from the Norway and Denmark matches. "I heard expressions and an aggressiveness I believe I did not deserve, a 'high-and-mighty' attitude that he never showed me, not even remotely, in private the day before," Ronaldo said about the manager's press conference.
The agreement that wasn't kept
On the day of the Norway game, Jesus reportedly told Ronaldo he would play for 30 minutes. The captain warmed up from half-time onwards but was never called upon. After the match, a meeting was held with the attendance of Al Nassr's sporting director Simao Coutinho, which produced an eight-point document to clarify events. The agreement stipulated that Jesus would provide that clarification at his next press conference. Ronaldo states the coach's public remarks bore no resemblance to their private discussion, considering it a second broken promise. It was then that he decided to leave the training camp.
The demand for accountability
The player has already apologised for failing to greet supporters after the Norway match and for leaving his teammates. He accepts that, as captain, his conduct is more serious. "The Portuguese Football Federation must assess the consequences of my actions and punish me for them. I believe the punishment should not be reduced," Ronaldo said. Despite the rupture, Portugal's all-time leading scorer is not limiting his international ambitions to a farewell appearance. He said that if he is physically fit, playing for his club and scoring goals, after serving any suspension, he will be available to compete and win for the national team.
Portugal moved on without their captain, maintaining a positive run of results. The team beat Norway 2-1 and Denmark 4-2 on 1 October, now on a four-game winning streak. Goals in those fixtures came from João Cancelo, Gonçalo Ramos, Vitinha and Joao Felix, showing the squad's depth. The next opportunity for the national side will come in November, in the return fixture against Denmark at home on 14 November.
Ronaldo had considered international retirement after Portugal's last-16 exit at the World Cup this summer, but was persuaded to reconsider after speaking with FPF president Pedro Proenca. Now, the immediate future hinges on the disciplinary decision of the federation. The next chapter of this story will be written when the squad reconvenes for the decisive Nations League games.
This story first appeared at The National Sport
