Cristiano Ronaldo has left the Portugal national team camp and said he will later disclose the reasons behind his decision.
The Portugal captain announced his departure shortly after a press conference by head coach Jorge Jesus and a conversation with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença.
The coach had during his press conference made the following statement: “Status does not give special rights”.
“I don’t have just one player. I have 23 players. Our mission is to
win the Nations League. Cristiano Ronaldo is 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐈’𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞. Denmark is”, Portugal manager Jorge Jesus said.
“When a player warms up for 20 or 30 minutes and doesn’t come on, nobody is happy. 𝐌𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐨. Much less Pelé or Maradona… That’s obvious.”
“A player’s status does not give him special rights. Status is about respecting their careers. I explain the plan to my players, and then I’m the one who decides.”
Ronaldo, in a statement, said he had decided to leave the camp following the developments but stressed that he remained committed to the national team.
“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,” Ronaldo said.
He did not announce his retirement from international football.
The development follows growing tension surrounding Ronaldo’s role in the Portugal squad. The 41-year-old was an unused substitute during Portugal’s 2-1 victory over Norway, while Jesus subsequently addressed questions about the forward’s training and involvement with the team.
Jesus had insisted that he remained in charge of team selection and said no player, including Ronaldo, could influence his decisions.
Ronaldo subsequently left the training camp, bringing further attention to his relationship with the coach.
Despite his departure, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner ended his message by wishing Portugal and his teammates well.
“Now it’s time to wish good luck to Portugal and all my teammates, without exception,” he said.
Ronaldo’s statement leaves the reasons for his departure unclear, with the Portugal star promising to provide a fuller explanation at a later date.