Cristiano Ronaldo succeeded in having his punishment for leaving the Portugal national team’s training camp reduced, despite having previously stated publicly that sanctions should be imposed on him "without taking mitigating circumstances into account," reports UNN, citing The Guardian.
Details
In an extensive statement on social media, published after he left the camp in Denmark last month, Ronaldo said that the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) should punish him at its own discretion, adding that his status as captain was an "aggravating circumstance."
However, during the disciplinary committee’s consideration of the case, the 41-year-old footballer put forward several arguments in favor of reducing the punishment, including the absence of disciplinary violations in previous seasons and his merits in football.
Ronaldo received a 30-day suspension and a €255 fine. According to the documents accompanying the decision, he presented three arguments for mitigating the punishment: the absence of disciplinary violations in the current and three previous seasons; his merits in football, including recognition of his sporting achievements; and his assistance in establishing the facts of the case.
To support his claims, Ronaldo listed the club titles and achievements he had earned with the national team: victory at the 2016 European Championship and two UEFA Nations League titles. His individual awards were also mentioned, including the fact that the "Al-Nassr" forward had won the "Ballon d’Or" five times. In addition to his sporting achievements, he referred to state awards received from the country’s highest-ranking officials.
The members of the disciplinary body took Ronaldo’s arguments regarding his achievements and merits to the country into account, which allowed the suspension and the fine to be reduced by half. The punishment was subsequently reduced by half again because Ronaldo acknowledged responsibility for his actions.
Ronaldo’s suspension falls during a period when no international matches are being played. It is currently unknown whether he plans to return to the national team and whether head coach Jorge Jesus will call him up again.
The description of events provides a clearer picture of the circumstances in which Ronaldo left the training camp. After head coach Jorge Jesus held a press conference in which he stressed that he was in charge of the team and that no player would influence his squad-selection decisions, Ronaldo asked the FPF for a car and headed to Copenhagen airport. During the journey, he called Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença and said that he was "not in the right psychological state" to remain with the team.
"The respondent (Ronaldo) did not inform the federation or representatives of the men’s national team of his intention to leave the stadium and training camp, nor did he provide any prior explanation," the decision states. The document notes that between September 30 and October 4, Ronaldo missed more than 30 team activities, including transfers, training sessions, and communal meals.
Ronaldo revealed the reason for leaving Portugal's training camp07.10.26, 04:53
The federation states that Ronaldo’s promise, made on social media after he had already left the training camp, to tell fans "the whole truth" drew additional negative attention to the incident. "Given his status as a public figure of global stature, the respondent could not have failed to realize that his behavior in such circumstances would attract intense media scrutiny, which is precisely what happened."
Therefore, Ronaldo was "expected to exercise particular caution in choosing the timing and manner of expressing dissatisfaction with the head coach’s decisions and actions." Instead, the player "only fueled rumors and public curiosity by posting on Instagram — on the very day he left Copenhagen — a message stating that he would, "later," tell "all Portuguese people the truth about the reasons that led to his departure from the men’s national team," the investigation’s findings conclude.
Portugal's next match — again against Denmark — is scheduled for November 14 in the city of Braga.