Cristiano Ronaldo, the renowned Portuguese footballer, was recently fined €255 (approximately 5.1 million IDR) along with a 30-day suspension imposed by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF). This disciplinary action comes after he abruptly left the national team amid the UEFA Nations League matches held last month.
Background of Ronaldo’s Departure from the National Team
Despite receiving this punishment, the seasoned captain of Portugal still has the opportunity to participate in two upcoming Nations League matches against Denmark and Wales scheduled for November. The situation escalated when Ronaldo departed from the squad just before the match against Denmark due to a disagreement with head coach Jorge Jesus. This conflict arose after Ronaldo felt that the coach had failed to deliver on promises regarding his playing time, having remained on the bench during Portugal’s dramatic clash with Norway.
After leaving the team, Ronaldo took to social media to publicly explain the rift between himself and Coach Jesus. In his statement, the 41-year-old striker accused the coach of breaking his promises but stressed his ongoing commitment to represent Portugal. He expressed his willingness to accept any repercussions from the federation. The FPF had already issued a preliminary suspension prior to announcing the formal sanctions on Monday. Meanwhile, FPF President Pedro Proenca continues to regard Ronaldo as an invaluable asset to the national squad.
Details of the Dispute with Coach Jorge Jesus
Ronaldo has voiced his disappointment regarding his treatment by Coach Jorge Jesus, whom he believes did not fulfill promises about game time. He shared that he was once instructed to prepare for a 30-minute appearance against Norway but ultimately did not step onto the field despite warming up since halftime.
He expressed his shock at the misunderstanding: “I was completely focused on my physical recovery and socializing with teammates as usual, believing I wouldn’t play that day. I had no issues with that,” Ronaldo explained. He added, “This request was beyond my recovery plan and training schedule as I was meant to play on October 4 at Dragao. Nonetheless, I was prepared for it, as the coach said I would play for 30 minutes.” He pointed out,
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