Disciplinary action taken against Ronaldo after leaving Portuguese national team camp

A disciplinary procedure has been opened against veteran Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, who left the national team camp following a dispute with his coach, the Portuguese Football Federation announced on Saturday.

The Al-Nassr forward and five-time world player of the year had apologized to the Portuguese public on Wednesday, while criticizing coach Jorge Jesus, and affirmed his readiness to return to the national team “after serving the suspension that will be imposed on me.”

According to Portuguese media, federation regulations stipulate that a player who misses a training session, a match, or any national team activity may face a suspension ranging from one to six months.

The crisis began when Ronaldo angrily left the national team camp after being omitted from the substitutes’ bench in the September 27 match against Norway, and upon learning that he would not start in the UEFA Nations League match against Denmark in Copenhagen on October 1.

On Wednesday, Ronaldo responded via his social media accounts, apologizing to the Portuguese public and his teammates, and paving the way for his return to the national team “after serving the suspension that will be imposed on me.”

However, he also leveled sharp criticism at Jesus, who worked with him last season at Al-Nassr and won the league title with him.

Ronaldo accused the 72-year-old coach of speaking to him in an authoritarian manner, claiming that Jesus “broke his promise” on two occasions: first, by not including him in the match against Norway, and second, by failing to adhere to a set of pre-agreed talking points intended to contain the controversy during a press conference.

One of these talking points stipulated that Jesus should acknowledge that he “made a mistake by asking a player of the stature of Pelé or Maradona to perform warm-up drills and then not sending him onto the pitch.”

The Portuguese national team had won all four of its UEFA Nations League matches, including the last three that Ronaldo missed, securing qualification for the quarter-finals. Their next match will be at home against Denmark on November 14.