Ronaldo Suspended for 30 Days and Fined €255 by Portugal After Leaving Camp
Cristiano Ronaldo has been suspended for 30 days and fined €255 by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) for leaving the national team camp during the latest international window. The federation's disciplinary council announced the decision on Monday, October 19, after it upheld the charge against the 41-year-old forward in full.
The council's non-professional section found that Ronaldo had intentionally committed an offence under Article 160(1) of the federation's disciplinary regulations. Proceedings were opened on October 9, over facts that had been reported two days earlier. Ronaldo had been provisionally suspended while the case was decided.
The case goes back to a rift with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus. Ronaldo left Portugal's base in Copenhagen before the Nations League match against Denmark. He had accused Jesus of twice breaking his word about his role in the side, after Ronaldo was an unused substitute in the match against Norway. Jesus denied making any agreement with Ronaldo but left the door open for his return. Portugal went on to win the Denmark match 2-1.
Ronaldo later issued a lengthy public statement. He apologised for failing to acknowledge supporters after the Norway match and for leaving his teammates. He said he would accept any punishment, and that his status as a role model gave even more reason to judge his actions strictly. He also said he remained available for selection once any punishment was served.
FPF president Pedro Proença has said that everyone in the federation wanted Ronaldo to return to the national team once the matter was resolved. According to reports, the federation's disciplinary rules allow suspensions of between one and six months for a player who leaves or misses national team activity without an acceptable reason, so the 30-day sanction is at the lower end of that range.
It is not yet clear exactly which matches the suspension will cover. Reuters reported that the statement did not specify which matches or activities are affected, or whether time already served under the provisional suspension counts towards the 30 days. Some reports suggest that Ronaldo will be available for the next international window.
The sanction applies to national team duty only. Ronaldo continues to play for Al-Nassr, where he scored his 981st career goal against Neftchi Fergana on October 12.