Cristiano Ronaldo has left Portugal's training camp ahead of the Denmark clash, with Jorge Jesus and FPF president Pedro Proença reportedly rushing to the airport to persuade him to stay.
Key Points
- Cristiano Ronaldo abruptly left Portugal's training camp in Copenhagen, casting doubt on his international future.
- Ronaldo's departure followed a press conference where coach Jorge Jesus acknowledged tensions between them.
- The 41-year-old star stated he would reveal the reasons for his exit 'in due course' via Instagram.
- Ronaldo had not played in Portugal's recent 2-1 win over Norway and had trained separately despite not being injured.
- The Portuguese Football Federation confirmed his departure but stated preparations for upcoming matches would continue with the remaining 24 players.
Portugal manager Jorge Jesus and Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) President Pedro Proenca made an unsuccessful dash to Copenhagen airport to persuade captain Cristiano Ronaldo not to leave the squad, Spanish newspaper Marca reported.
Ronaldo said on social media on Wednesday that he was leaving the Portugal camp in Denmark following a conversation with Proenca, casting doubt on his international future on the eve of their Nations League match against Denmark in Copenhagen on Thursday.
Ronaldo had been due to train with the squad at the Parken Stadium on Wednesday, but left before the session began.
He returned to the team hotel and collected his belongings, Marca reported, before heading to the airport to take a private flight to Madrid. Jesus and Proenca followed him there in an attempt to persuade him to remain in Copenhagen but failed to change his mind, the newspaper added.
The FPF disciplinary code states that national team players who leave without permission can be subject to a suspension of one to six months from the Portugal national team.
The FPF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the Marca report.
Only hours earlier, Jesus had said Ronaldo would take part in Wednesday's training session and denied there was any problem between them.
He did confirm a private conversation with Ronaldo on Tuesday, after the Al-Nassr forward did not feature during Portugal's 2-1 win over Norway on Sunday.
He added that Ronaldo was angry with him but as far as he was concerned it was "water under the bridge".
Ronaldo's Shock Camp Exit Amid Tensions with Coach
Cristiano Ronaldo’s international future was plunged into doubt on Wednesday when he abruptly left Portugal’s training camp in Copenhagen shortly after coach Jorge Jesus acknowledged tensions between the pair. The 41-year-old’s departure came a day before Portugal face Denmark in the Nations League.
Ronaldo said on Instagram he made the decision after Jesus’s press conference and a conversation with Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) President Pedro Proenca, adding that he would reveal the reasons “in due course”.
"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," Ronaldo wrote. "In due course, I will tell all Portuguese people the truth about the reasons behind my departure from the national team, to which I have always been fully committed.
"Now is the time to wish Portugal and all my team-mates, without exception, the best of luck."
FPF Confirms Departure
The FPF confirmed Ronaldo had left the camp but said preparations for the match against Denmark and Sunday's home game against Norway would continue as planned with the remaining 24 players. "The entire squad remains fully focused on the national team’s upcoming fixtures and on achieving the objectives set,” it added.
Early Test for Jesus
The episode raised questions over whether one of football’s longest international careers was nearing its end and whether Jesus was facing an early crisis of authority only two matches into his tenure. Jesus replaced Roberto Martinez after Portugal’s disappointing World Cup campaign.
Portugal's squad later arrived at their hotel without Ronaldo or Jesus. Reuters confirmed that Ronaldo's private jet left Madrid airport at 7:49 p.m. local time en route to Copenhagen and is scheduled to return to the Spanish capital at 11:30 p.m. local time.
Several Portuguese media outlets reported that Ronaldo left Parken Stadium minutes after Jesus finished speaking to reporters. Portuguese newspaper A Bola posted a video that appeared to show Ronaldo leaving the stadium in an FPF vehicle shortly after Jesus had told reporters the forward would train with the squad. Portugal's training session began after a brief delay, with Ronaldo absent.
Coach Denies Refusal to Train
Jesus had denied that Ronaldo refused to train and urged reporters not to manufacture a controversy. "He didn't refuse. He's going to train today," Jesus said before the session. "It's the fourth day, so he's going to train. And he didn't refuse to train. It's impossible. Do you believe that? Not Cris."
Jesus said there had been no incident, although he confirmed speaking to Ronaldo. "They forced me to talk to Cris about an issue that didn't exist. There was nothing to talk about," he said. "He said, 'I'm here for you to decide. If you want me to play, I'll play. If you want me to go to the stands, I'll go'."
Ronaldo Left Out
Ronaldo did not play in Portugal's 2-1 away win over Norway on Sunday after Jesus told him he would come off the bench but ultimately decided against using him. He then worked in the gym rather than with the squad on Monday and Tuesday, despite not being injured.
"Ronaldo was angry with me, but as far as I’m concerned, that’s water under the bridge," Jesus said.
Ronaldo is Portugal's record goalscorer with 146 goals and their most-capped player with 234 appearances. Last week, he said the media had been trying to "kill" him for years and added that he could leave "today" if the manager did not want him in the squad.
