Lisbon: Portugal’s coach and football federation have left the door open for Cristiano Ronaldo’s return after the forward departed the national team’s training camp amid disagreement over his playing role.
The 41 year old left Copenhagen on September 30 after coach Jorge Jesus confirmed he would not start against Denmark in the Nations League, UEFA’s competition for European national teams.
Ronaldo had also remained an unused substitute, a player selected for the match but never brought onto the pitch, during Portugal’s earlier victory over Norway.
Jesus acknowledged that Ronaldo was unhappy about not playing. He said he had intended to introduce the forward against Norway but ultimately decided otherwise, while rejecting suggestions that Ronaldo had refused to train.
Ronaldo announced his departure after the coach’s press conference and a conversation with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença. He said he would explain his reasons later and wished his teammates success.
The disagreement has prompted debate about Ronaldo’s place under Jesus, who previously coached him at Saudi club Al Nassr. However, the forward has not publicly announced his retirement from international football.
Teammate Bruno Fernandes said he had spoken to Ronaldo and rejected suggestions of division within the squad. He urged supporters to respect everyone involved and said Ronaldo remained an important symbol of Portuguese football.
Portugal continued their campaign without their record scorer, beating Denmark four goals to two and Norway two goals to one to secure a Nations League quarterfinal place.
Jesus subsequently said Ronaldo could return if he wished. Proença described the episode as a misunderstanding and indicated that discussions could help resolve it.
For now, Ronaldo’s future involvement remains undecided. The coach and federation have expressed willingness to reconcile, but no return date has been confirmed.
