Cristiano Ronaldo has left Portugal's national-team training camp on the eve of their Nations League match against Denmark, after what Reuters described as a turbulent few hours in Copenhagen — a dramatic escalation in his reported dispute with coach Jorge Jesus.
Ronaldo confirmed the departure himself on Instagram on Wednesday: "Following the national team manager's press conference, and after a conversation with the President of the Portuguese Football Federation, I have decided to leave the national team's training camp," he wrote, adding that he would tell Portuguese fans "the truth about the reasons behind my departure" in due course.
The flashpoint was team selection. Jesus left Ronaldo as an unused substitute in Portugal's 2-1 win over Norway — the first time in 18 years the captain had not played a single minute of a match he was available for — and reportedly planned to bench him for a second straight game against Denmark. The Portugal squad later arrived at their hotel without Ronaldo and without Jesus, with the whereabouts of both unknown at the time.
Jesus has publicly denied any rift, but the departure has turned a selection decision into a full-blown national-team crisis on the night before a competitive fixture. The federation confirmed that Ronaldo had left the camp.
This is a new development from the Norway match itself, where Ronaldo watched the win from the bench. The story now is the captain walking out of the national camp — an unprecedented moment in his 20-plus years with Portugal — and what his promised explanation will reveal.
Sources: Reuters, Al Jazeera
Ronaldo confirmed the departure himself on Instagram on Wednesday: "Following the national team manager's press conference, and after a conversation with the President of the Portuguese Football Federation, I have decided to leave the national team's training camp," he wrote, adding that he would tell Portuguese fans "the truth about the reasons behind my departure" in due course.
The flashpoint was team selection. Jesus left Ronaldo as an unused substitute in Portugal's 2-1 win over Norway — the first time in 18 years the captain had not played a single minute of a match he was available for — and reportedly planned to bench him for a second straight game against Denmark. The Portugal squad later arrived at their hotel without Ronaldo and without Jesus, with the whereabouts of both unknown at the time.
Jesus has publicly denied any rift, but the departure has turned a selection decision into a full-blown national-team crisis on the night before a competitive fixture. The federation confirmed that Ronaldo had left the camp.
This is a new development from the Norway match itself, where Ronaldo watched the win from the bench. The story now is the captain walking out of the national camp — an unprecedented moment in his 20-plus years with Portugal — and what his promised explanation will reveal.
Sources: Reuters, Al Jazeera
