Nearly a week ago, Cristiano Ronaldo vowed to dedicate himself to the Portuguese national team. At 41, the Al-Nassr star criticized the press when justifying his decision not to end his international career, but he promised he wouldn’t be more important than any other player.
“I’m here to help, whether I play or not. I’m just one among many. It’s always been that way, and it will stay that way. (…) I’ll say it again, I’ll do whatever the coach wants of me: play, come off, or even not play. The honor I have to represent Portugal is greater than anything.”
Six days later, this fine speech had already crumbled. Starting against Wales (1-0), CR7 faced a wave of criticism due to his lack of finishing. Publicly pilloried, the famous number 7 then experienced something unprecedented in 18 years.
Against Norway (2-1), Jorge Jesus left him glued to the bench for the entire match. The choice greatly irritated Ronaldo, who looked sulky in front of the cameras. After the match, his coach admitted he had told his star player he would come on as a substitute but ultimately changed his mind.
Jesus said, “I didn’t realize (that he was sulking). Only he can answer that. What’s certain is that just because he didn’t come on doesn’t mean I’m not counting on him. In fact, before the match, I told him: ‘I’m not going to start you, but I’m going to bring you on as a substitute.’ That’s football: it dictates things that, in this specific case, didn’t justify changing strikers, knowing that we now have a match in Denmark and that he could be the first choice against Denmark.” Since then, new events have occurred.
Cristiano Ronaldo Benched vs. Norway as Portugal Tensions Rise
On Tuesday afternoon, as the Seleção das Quinas (the Portuguese national team) settled into their quarters in Malmö, a Swedish city located just across the border from Copenhagen, Ronaldo alerted the entire Portuguese press. On the pitch at Eleda Stadion thirty minutes before team training began, CR7 opted to head back to the hotel after a brief discussion with Jesus.
Officially, the federation justified the choice by saying the Malmö club did not have the equipment needed for Ronaldo’s individual training. For his part, Jesus briefly mentioned his conversation with his star player after training. “I speak to Cristiano Ronaldo every day, every minute.”
But while the Portuguese national team coach denied any falling out with his player, the entire Portuguese press is reporting this evening that the president of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), Pedro Proença, has urgently changed his schedule. He was expected tomorrow in Ponta Delgada (Azores) for the U21 match against Gibraltar.
This is an important match, as a victory would secure the young Portuguese players’ qualification for the U21 European Championship. Proença was then supposed to travel to Denmark on Thursday, the day of the senior national team’s match against the Scandinavians.
Ultimately, Proença will not be going to the Azores and is currently heading towards Copenhagen, before crossing the Öresund Bridge for an emergency meeting with Jesus and Ronaldo in Malmö. For a player who had declared himself at the service of his team, one match was enough to sow discord.
Cristiano Ronaldo Sparks Emergency Meeting After Portugal Snub