The Portuguese Football Federation provisionally suspended Cristiano Ronaldo on Saturday and opened disciplinary proceedings against the 41-year-old after he left the national team camp during the Nations League window.
Ronaldo departed following a dispute with coach Jorge Jesus over playing time. He was an unused substitute in Portugal’s 2-1 win over Norway on Sept. 30, despite what he said was a promise from Jesus to play him for 30 minutes. The forward then left before the next match against Denmark, notifying the federation of his decision. In a lengthy Instagram post, Ronaldo accused Jesus of breaking his word twice and apologized to teammates, stating, “I should not have done it. The responsibility is exclusively mine.”
The federation’s disciplinary regulations allow for a suspension of one to six months for a player who “abandons or fails to appear” at national team activities without justification. Ronaldo acknowledged the potential punishment, writing, “I have already apologized, but I know that actions must have consequences.” He added that as captain, his actions carried “an aggravating factor.”
Federation president Pedro Proença said the case was marked as urgent but expressed a desire for Ronaldo’s return. “There is a strong desire to have our captain back with us,” Proença told Portuguese outlet Record. Portugal, undefeated in the Nations League, has upcoming matches against Denmark and Wales in November.
