Cristiano Ronaldo has received a 30-day suspension from the Portuguese Football Federation and must pay a €255 fine. The punishment follows the 41-year-old forward’s decision to leave the Portugal squad during the most recent international break.
In late September, Ronaldo clashed with national team coach Jorge Jesus after staying on the bench for Portugal’s 2-1 international win over Norway. Ronaldo said Jesus had told him beforehand that he would get about half an hour on the pitch.Jesus told Ronaldo to warm up during the match, but the forward never came on. Ronaldo felt the coach had not taken him seriously and later claimed Jesus had broken a second promise: to explain the situation publicly at a press conference.
Tensions rose until Ronaldo decided to leave the training camp before Portugal faced Denmark. He later apologised to his team-mates and supporters in a lengthy public statement, acknowledging that his decision to leave the national team could not go without consequences.
Calling for an appropriate punishment himself, Ronaldo said his status as a role model gave even more reason to judge his actions strictly. The captain made clear he was ready to accept the consequences of leaving, despite his criticism of how Jesus had handled the situation.
A week and a half ago, the Portuguese federation announced that it had formally opened disciplinary proceedings against Ronaldo. He would remain suspended until it decided on a final punishment.
The federation has now handed Ronaldo a 30-day suspension and a €255 fine. Given his astronomical salary, the fine is particularly low.
Backdated to 30 September, the day Ronaldo left, the suspension means he will be available again on 14 November, when Portugal play their next international.
