Portugal captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, has been suspended for 30 days and fined by the Portuguese Football Association following a fallout with head coach Jorge Jesus.
The federation’s disciplinary council enforced the ban and a £215 fine backdated to September 30, the day the forward abandoned the national squad’s training camp in Denmark.
The crisis began after the 41-year-old forward was left as an unused substitute during Portugal’s 2-1 victory over Norway in Oslo. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner claimed he was promised game time and had warmed up on the sidelines, only for the head coach to reverse his decision.
After the match, Ronaldo publicly accused Jesus of a breach of trust regarding his role in the team, an allegation the manager denied.
The Al Nassr forward published a lengthy open letter detailing the incident, apologising for his actions, and explicitly asking the federation to spare him any leniency. To mitigate the penalty, Ronaldo submitted a 2,000-word statement alongside his extensive career CV.
A 28-page document released by the disciplinary council on Monday evening described the punishment as adequate and sufficient for the player’s infraction.
“In relation to the mitigating circumstances of having rendered significant services to football and receiving recognition for sporting merit, the defendant Cristiano Ronaldo submitted his sporting CV, including the awards and honours he received during his career.”
Despite the internal friction, Portugal currently sits top of the Nations League Group A4 with a perfect winning record.
Dawn Herald gathered that Ronaldo will be available for selection when Portugal takes on Denmark and Wales next month, as Jesus insists the door remains open for the country’s record goalscorer to rejoin the joint operations of the squad.
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