The crisis between Cristiano Ronaldo and the Portugal national team is now out in the open. The 41-year-old captain has left the squad’s training camp in Copenhagen and will miss the matches against Denmark and Norway. His decision came just minutes after a particularly firm press conference from Jorge Jesus, who insisted that the rules would be the same for everyone. CR7 is now promising to reveal “the truth” about his departure.
It all started with Portugal’s 2-1 victory over Norway. Cristiano Ronaldo remained on the bench throughout the match, even though Jorge Jesus had considered bringing him on during the game. The coach ultimately decided against it, a decision that greatly upset the Portuguese captain. Reuters reports that Jesus himself acknowledged that Ronaldo had been angry with him.
Tensions rise between Ronaldo and Jorge Jesus
In the following days, CR7 did not take part normally in the team’s group training sessions. The Federation explained that he had been working in the hotel gym, although no injury had been reported. As the situation escalated, Federation president Pedro Proença even arrived in Copenhagen earlier than planned and held talks with the various parties involved.
On Wednesday, Jorge Jesus attempted to publicly put the matter to rest while reaffirming his authority. He explained that he had planned to manage Ronaldo’s workload and insisted that a player’s status did not entitle him to special treatment. “In the team, I’m the one in charge,” the coach said, while also confirming that Gonçalo Ramos would once again start against Denmark. Jesus was equally categorical about training, saying Ronaldo was expected to rejoin the squad that afternoon. But just minutes after the press conference, the exact opposite happened: CR7 left Parken in a Federation vehicle as his teammates headed onto the pitch, and he did not take part in the session.
A few hours later, Ronaldo announced that he was leaving the training camp following a discussion with Pedro Proença. Most notably, the Portuguese star promised that he would soon explain the real reasons behind his decision: “When the time comes, I will tell the truth to all Portuguese people.” The Federation subsequently confirmed his departure and announced that the remaining 24 players would continue their preparations as normal. At 41 and after 234 international appearances, the future of Cristiano Ronaldo’s relationship with Portugal is now surrounded by a huge question mark.
