Cristiano Ronaldo has left Portugal’s training camp after coach Jorge Jesus made it clear he would not play Thursday’s Nations League match against Denmark.
The 41-year-old confirmed his departure on Wednesday evening, saying he had made the decision after speaking with Portuguese Football Federation president, Pedro Proença. Ronaldo said he would explain the reasons behind it “in due course”.
“After the press conference of the national team, and following a conversation with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, I have made the decision to leave the national team training camp,” Ronaldo wrote on Instagram.
“In due course, I will tell all the Portuguese people the truth about the reasons that led me to leave the national team, to which I always dedicated myself.
“Now is the time to wish Portugal and all my teammates good luck, without exception.”
The decision came hours after Jesus said Ronaldo was not expected to start against Denmark in Copenhagen. The Portugal manager said Gonçalo Ramos would lead the attack if there were no late changes, and insisted that Ronaldo had accepted his decisions.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen in the game,” Jesus said. “If we need [Ronaldo] to play [at some point], he’ll play. If not, he won’t.”
Jesus said Ronaldo had not refused to train and had worked in the gym after being left out of Portugal’s 2-1 win over Norway on Sunday. Ronaldo did not play in that match and had not trained with the main group on Monday or Tuesday, although the federation had not reported an injury.
The manager also acknowledged that Ronaldo had been told he was likely to feature against Norway before Jesus changed his mind during the match.
“It was a mistake to send him to warm up for as long as he did and then not use him,” Jesus said, adding that “any player” would have been upset by the situation.
Jesus said, however, that the final decision belonged to him.
“I can promise whatever I want, I’m the coach,” he said. “No player will ever make a decision for me.”
The former Al-Nassr manager, who worked with Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia, denied that there was a dispute between the pair and said there was no “Ronaldo case” that needed resolving. He said a meeting with Ronaldo and Proença had taken place because of the attention surrounding the situation.
Ronaldo started Portugal’s opening Nations League match against Wales last Thursday, scoring before being substituted in the 67th minute. Portugal then beat Norway without him to move to six points from two matches and top Group A4, three points ahead of Denmark and Norway.
The Portuguese Football Federation said the team’s preparations would continue with the remaining 24 players in the squad. Portugal play Denmark on Thursday before hosting Norway in Porto on Sunday.
