Cristiano Ronaldo leaves Portugal training camp after coach says he is dropped for Nations League clash

COPENHAGEN – Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo announced on Sept 30 that he had left the team’s training camp in Denmark after coach Jorge Jesus told reporters that the striker would be dropped for their next match.

Ronaldo had been due to train with his teammates at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen on Sept 30 but left abruptly after Jesus’ press conference.

The veteran coach had said that Ronaldo, who spent the entire match on the bench against Norway on Sept 27, would not start in the Oct 1 Nations League clash away to Denmark either.

“Following the national team coach’s press conference, and after having a conversation with the Portuguese Football Federation president, I decided to leave the national team’s training camp,” Ronaldo wrote on Instagram.

“In due course, I will tell the truth to all the Portuguese people about my reasons for leaving the national team, to which I have always been dedicated.

“Now is time to wish good luck to Portugal and to all my teammates, without exception.”

Jesus had insisted earlier that there was no rift between him and Ronaldo.

But the 72-year-old did acknowledge that his captain had been disappointed to remain on the bench in his side’s Nations League win over Norway.

The news sparked a wave of memes on social media and furious backlash from Ronaldo’s sister, Elma Aveiro.

“They don’t deserve to have the best of anything,” she said about the Portuguese people on Instagram.

“We are envious, scornful and ignorant and we deserve to return to the mediocrity that defined us in the pre-CR7 era of football.”

Following the 2-1 victory in Oslo, Ronaldo went straight to the changing rooms without joining his teammates in acknowledging the Portuguese supporters in the stands.

“There was no incident whatsoever,” Jesus told reporters.

“Any player – and I was a player myself... when you spend 20 or 30 minutes warming up and then don’t get on... no one is happy about that,” Jesus said on Sept 30.

The Portuguese coach added that he had told Ronaldo before the match that he would not be in the starting line-up, but that he might bring him on towards the end of the game.

“Afterwards, as coach, I decided not to bring him on. It’s nothing to make a fuss about,” Jesus insisted.

The former Benfica boss also explained that Ronaldo had not refused to train on Sept 29, as some Portuguese media outlets had suggested, but that he had had to do individual exercises for physical “mobility” and “strengthening”.

Jesus had said that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner would train as normal on Sept 30.

But, despite arriving at the stadium in the team bus, Ronaldo did not join his teammates on the pitch in Copenhagen.

Portuguese media shared a video of him leaving Parken Stadium alongside two members of the backroom staff just after Jesus’ press conference.

They also said that Ronaldo‘s private jet was heading to Copenhagen.

Following Ronaldo’s social media post, the Portuguese federation released a statement confirming that the former Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus player had left the squad’s training camp.

“Preparation for the two matches against Denmark and Norway... continue as planned with the 24 remaining squad members,” the federation said.

“The entire delegation remains totally focused on the national team’s next fixtures and on achieving the established objectives.”

Jesus had said earlier that for the Denmark match, he again intended to start AC Milan striker Goncalo Ramos, who scored the winner against the Norwegians.

“If everything goes according to plan, it will be Goncalo who plays,” he said, before adding regarding Ronaldo: “If I need him, he’ll come on. If I don’t need him, he won’t.”

At 41, Ronaldo announced this summer that this season would “probably (be) my last year in football”.

He is Portugal’s leading goalscorer and most capped player, with 146 goals in 234 appearances. AFP