Cristiano Ronaldo has left Portugal’s training camp ahead of Thursday’s UEFA Nations League meeting with Denmark after head coach Jorge Jesus confirmed that the veteran forward was not expected to start in Copenhagen.
Ronaldo announced his departure on Wednesday, shortly after Jesus revealed his plans for the match. The Portugal captain said he would explain the circumstances behind his decision at a later stage.
The 41-year-old has scored a record 146 goals for Portugal and is continuing his pursuit of 1,000 career goals. However, he was an unused substitute during Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Norway and had not trained with the rest of the squad since that match.
His absence from training had prompted speculation over a possible disagreement with Jesus, although the Portugal manager repeatedly denied that there was a serious dispute between them.
In a statement posted on social media, Ronaldo said he had decided to leave the national-team camp after the team’s press conference and a conversation with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença.
He said he would eventually reveal the reasons behind his decision but wished Portugal and his teammates success for the upcoming fixtures.
The Portuguese federation subsequently confirmed that Ronaldo had departed the camp, adding that preparations for the Denmark match would continue with the remaining 24 players.
Ronaldo did not take part in Wednesday’s training session and was reported to have left the stadium where the squad was preparing for the game.
Jesus insists selection decisions are his
Jesus addressed the situation before Ronaldo’s departure, stressing that selection decisions ultimately belonged to the manager.
The former Al Hilal coach said Ronaldo had previously indicated that he would accept whatever decision the manager made. Jesus also suggested that Gonçalo Ramos would lead the attack against Denmark if preparations continued as expected.
Ronaldo could still have been used during the match, Jesus explained, but there was no guarantee that he would enter the game.
The Portugal boss also rejected suggestions that Ronaldo had refused to train after being left out of the starting XI against Norway.
Jesus admitted that he had originally expected Ronaldo to feature against Norway but subsequently changed his plans because of how the match developed.
Ronaldo had been sent out to warm up for an extended period during that game but ultimately remained on the bench. Jesus acknowledged that such a situation could understandably frustrate a player.
However, he maintained that his decision-making authority as manager could not be questioned.
Jesus also recognised that Ronaldo’s status required particular consideration because of the forward’s extraordinary career and importance to Portuguese football.
Meeting between Ronaldo, Jesus and federation president
The situation eventually led to a meeting involving Ronaldo, Jesus and federation president Pedro Proença.
Jesus said the meeting had taken place largely because of the attention surrounding the situation in Portugal. Nevertheless, he insisted that there was no major disagreement requiring intervention and rejected the idea that there was a formal “Ronaldo case” within the squad.
The manager also pointed out that he had previously worked with Ronaldo for around a year in Saudi Arabia.
Ronaldo had started Portugal’s 1-0 victory over Wales last Thursday before being replaced after 67 minutes. He subsequently posted a photograph of himself wearing the Portugal kit alongside the national flag.
Portugal currently sit top of Nations League Group A4 with six points from their opening two matches. Denmark and Norway are both three points behind, while Wales remain without a point.
Portugal are scheduled to face Norway again on Sunday.
At this stage, it remains unclear whether Ronaldo’s departure from the training camp will last only for the current international break or whether it could have longer-term implications for his involvement with the national team.
The development comes shortly before Lionel Messi is due to play what has been described as his farewell match for Argentina next week, adding another major storyline to the international careers of two of football’s most celebrated players.
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