Portugal’s football federation (FPF) announced Saturday that it has opened disciplinary proceedings against Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portuguese superstar left the national team camp following a dispute with his coach on September 30.
“Due to the urgent nature” of the proceedings, the 41-year-old has been “provisionally suspended” pending a final decision, the FPF said in a statement. The federation added that Ronaldo had already been automatically suspended before the disciplinary process was formally opened.
“No communication will be made until the investigation into the case is complete,” the FPF said.
According to Portuguese media, federation regulations allow for a suspension of between one and six months for players who miss a national team training session, match or other activity.
“This is the normal process,” FPF President Pedro Proença told Portuguese reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration of a training center in Porto.
Calling for “calm and composure,” he added that “everyone is eager to have our captain back as soon as possible.”
The dispute began on September 30, when Ronaldo left the national team camp after learning that he would not start the Nations League match against Denmark in Copenhagen scheduled for the following day.
A few days earlier, he had already expressed frustration after remaining on the bench against Norway in Oslo.
On Wednesday, Ronaldo addressed the issue on social media, apologizing to Portuguese supporters and his Seleção teammates. He opened the door to a return to the national team “after serving the suspension that will be imposed on me.”
However, he also sharply criticized coach Jorge Jesus, with whom he worked last season at Saudi club Al-Nassr, where they won the league title.
Ronaldo accused the 72-year-old coach of speaking to him in an authoritarian manner and of “breaking his word” twice. First, Jesus did not bring him on against Norway. Then, he allegedly failed to follow a series of notes approved in advance to put an end to the controversy during a press conference.
One of the notes stated that Jesus should acknowledge having “made a mistake by asking someone of Pelé or Maradona’s stature to warm up, only not to bring him into the game.”
Portugal has won all four of its Nations League matches, including the last three without Ronaldo, and has qualified for the quarterfinals. The team will next face Denmark at home on November 14.
