Cristiano Ronaldo has left the Portugal national team camp after a disagreement with head coach Jorge Jesus, saying he will explain the reasons for his departure “in due time”.
The 41-year-old forward announced his decision following a conversation with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation. Ronaldo said he had always dedicated himself to the national team, but wished Portugal and his team-mates “good luck”.
“After the press conference of the National Team coach, and following a conversation with the President of the Portuguese Football Federation, I decided to leave the National Team camp,” Ronaldo said in a statement shared on Instagram.
“In due time, I will tell all the Portuguese about the reasons that motivated my departure from the national team, which I always dedicated myself to.
“Now it’s time to wish good luck to Portugal and all my teammates, without exception.”
What led to Cristiano Ronaldo leaving Portugal
Ronaldo did not play in Portugal’s match against Norway on Sunday and had not trained with the squad since. The Portuguese federation said Ronaldo was the only player to leave, with the rest of the delegation remaining focused on the team’s upcoming fixtures.
The dispute followed comments from Jesus, who said the coach made the decisions and that the rules applied equally to every player. He confirmed Gonçalo Ramos would start Thursday’s match against Denmark.
Jesus said he had initially told Ronaldo he would probably play against Norway, but changed his mind during the match. He acknowledged it had been a mistake to allow the forward to warm up for so long without bringing him on, adding that any player would have been upset by the situation.
“I can promise whatever I want, I’m the coach,” Jesus said. “No player will ever make a decision for me.”
The manager denied there was an underlying problem between them, despite the breakdown in the relationship. Jesus said he and Ronaldo had spoken with the federation president, but maintained there was “nothing to solve”.
Ronaldo has been part of the Portugal set-up for 23 years and also represented the team at the World Cup earlier this year. He had previously suggested that this would “probably” be his final year as a professional footballer.
