Ronaldo Handed 30-Day Suspension, €255 Fine After Portugal Camp Walkout
Cristiano Ronaldo has been handed a 30-day suspension and fined €255 by the Portuguese Football Federation following his departure from the national team’s camp amid a disagreement with head coach Jorge Jesus over his role in the squad.
The federation announced the disciplinary decision on Monday, October 19, after its disciplinary council upheld the charge against the 41-year-old forward for leaving the national team camp without authorisation.
According to Reuters, the disciplinary council found that Ronaldo had intentionally committed an offence under Article 160(1) of the federation’s disciplinary regulations.
The €255 fine is equivalent to approximately $286, according to Channels Television.
Ronaldo left Portugal’s training camp in Copenhagen on September 30, ahead of the team’s Nations League match against Denmark on October 1.
The departure followed his omission from Portugal’s match against Norway on September 27, in which he was an unused substitute despite warming up during the game.
The forward subsequently learnt that he would not start against Denmark, prompting his departure from the camp.
Disagreement with coach
The incident followed a disagreement between Ronaldo and Jesus over the player’s expected role in the national team.
In a statement published on October 6, Ronaldo accused the coach of breaking his word regarding his involvement in the squad. He said the disagreement contributed to his decision to leave the camp.
Jesus, however, denied making an agreement with Ronaldo over his selection and playing time, although he did not rule out the forward’s return to the team.
The Portuguese Football Federation opened disciplinary proceedings on October 9 following reports about Ronaldo’s departure.
The disciplinary council subsequently upheld the charge and imposed the 30-day suspension alongside the financial penalty.
Ronaldo apologises
Ronaldo apologised earlier in October for his conduct following the match against Norway and his departure from the national team’s camp.
According to Reuters, he expressed his willingness to accept any punishment arising from the incident and maintained that he remained available for future national team selection after serving the sanction.
The federation’s disciplinary council reportedly took his expression of remorse into account when determining the punishment.
Will Ronaldo miss Portugal’s next matches?
The suspension is not expected to affect Portugal’s next Nations League fixtures in November.
Channels Television reported that the punishment took effect from October 1, the date of the match against Denmark, meaning Ronaldo had already served 19 days of the 30-day suspension by October 19.
He was therefore expected to complete the suspension before Portugal’s scheduled matches against Denmark on November 14 and Wales on November 17.
However, the disciplinary decision, as reported by Reuters, did not explicitly clarify which matches or activities the suspension covered or whether all the time served under the provisional suspension would count towards the final punishment.
Portugal have continued their Nations League campaign without Ronaldo. Channels Television reported that the team won all four of its matches during his absence and qualified for the quarter-finals with two games to spare.
Meanwhile, Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença has expressed a desire for Ronaldo to return to the national team once the disciplinary matter is resolved.
The latest decision leaves Ronaldo facing a formal disciplinary sanction, although his return to Portugal’s squad will depend on the team’s selection process and any further developments.
