Cristiano Ronaldo has left the Portugal national team's training camp in Denmark after being dropped for the upcoming Nations League match. The captain was informed by head coach Jorge Jesus that he would not start against Denmark, creating a public rift within the squad.
The decision was made on Wednesday, 30 September, at the Parken stadium in Copenhagen. Ronaldo had been an unused substitute in the 2-1 win over Norway the previous Sunday, a result that extended Portugal's winning run to four matches. After a conversation with the Portuguese Football Federation president and the coach's press conference, Ronaldo chose to depart.
"Following the national team coach's press conference, and after having a conversation with the Portuguese Football Federation president, I decided to leave the national team's training camp," Ronaldo stated in an Instagram post. The forward added that "in due course, I will tell the truth to all the Portuguese people about my reasons for leaving the national team, to which I have always been dedicated."
Jorge Jesus, for his part, insisted there was no rift with the captain, though he acknowledged Ronaldo was disappointed to remain on the bench against Norway. The incident comes as Portugal tops its Nations League group, having beaten Denmark 4-2 on 1 October before the victory over Norway.
Ronaldo's private jet left Madrid airport at 7:49 p.m. local time bound for Copenhagen, scheduled to return to the Spanish capital at 11:30 p.m. The situation now places intense focus on squad unity and Jorge Jesus's selections ahead of the next competitive outing.
This story first appeared at VnExpress International Sports
