Ronaldo leaves and promises to reveal ‘the truth’

What began with Cristiano Ronaldo spending 90 minutes on the bench against Norway has developed into one of the most remarkable episodes of his long international career.

On Wednesday evening, Ronaldo confirmed that he had decided to leave Portugal’s camp in Copenhagen following Jorge Jesus’ press conference and a conversation with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença.

“In time, I will tell all the Portuguese people the truth about the reasons that led to my departure from the national team,” Ronaldo wrote in his statement, before wishing Portugal and his team-mates good luck.

The Portuguese Football Federation subsequently confirmed his departure without providing a detailed explanation.

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The development means Ronaldo will not be involved when Portugal face Denmark at Parken.

Even Portuguese reporters were stunned

The speed at which the story developed appears to have caught even those who follow Ronaldo and the Portuguese national team every day by surprise.

In a report from Copenhagen, TV 2 Sport described the reaction among Portuguese journalists covering the extraordinary sequence of events.

One of the reporters summed up the situation as “a completely crazy day”.

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That description is understandable considering how rapidly the picture changed. Earlier on Wednesday, Jorge Jesus had publicly played down suggestions of a serious dispute with his captain and insisted Ronaldo would train later that day.

“He didn’t refuse. He’s going to train today,” Jesus said at his press conference.

Instead, Ronaldo left Parken before the session began.

The Portuguese federation confirmed to Reuters that the 41-year-old did not participate in the final training session before the Denmark match. Portuguese newspaper A Bola also published footage appearing to show him leaving the stadium in a federation vehicle shortly after Jesus had said he would train.

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Only a few hours later, Ronaldo announced that he was leaving the camp altogether.

Jesus insisted there was ‘no case’

The contrast with Jorge Jesus’ comments earlier in the day made the subsequent development even more remarkable.

Jesus repeatedly rejected suggestions that he had a serious problem with Ronaldo.

“There was no incident,” the Portugal coach said, explaining that discussions between himself and Ronaldo had been exaggerated publicly.

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Jesus also revealed what Ronaldo had told him during their conversation.

“I’m here for you to decide. If you want me to play, I’ll play. If you want me to go to the stands, I’ll go,” Ronaldo told him, according to Jesus.

The coach nevertheless made another point clear: Ronaldo’s status would not place him above the sporting decisions made by the manager.

Jesus said Ronaldo had originally been informed that he would not play in the games against Norway and Denmark. During the Norway match, however, he asked the veteran forward to warm up for approximately half an hour before eventually deciding against bringing him on.

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“Any player who warms up for 20 or 30 minutes and then doesn’t come on isn’t happy. Especially Cris,” Jesus said.

It started with 90 minutes on the bench

The controversy can be traced back to Portugal’s 2-1 victory over Norway on Sunday.

Ronaldo was available but remained an unused substitute throughout the game, an extremely rare occurrence during his more than two decades with the national team.

He warmed up during the second half but was never introduced.

After the final whistle, Ronaldo headed directly towards the dressing room rather than joining his team-mates in acknowledging the Portuguese supporters.

In the following days, he did not train with the main group. The federation stressed that he was not injured, while Jesus attempted to explain the situation as part of the management of the 41-year-old’s workload. Reuters reported that Ronaldo had been doing gym work instead of training with his team-mates.

Yet the unusual sequence of events inevitably intensified speculation.

Federation president flew to Copenhagen

The situation had already become serious enough for FPF president Pedro Proença to change his schedule and travel to Copenhagen.

Portuguese reports said he had originally been expected to attend Portugal Under-21s’ match in the Azores but instead travelled to Denmark as uncertainty surrounding Ronaldo grew.

According to A Bola, Proença wanted to be close to the situation involving Ronaldo and Jesus.

On Tuesday night, reports suggested Ronaldo and Jesus had spoken and resolved the disagreement. Observador even reported that the pair were satisfied after their conversation and that the apparent tension had been overcome.

Less than 24 hours later, Ronaldo had left.

It is that sequence which helps explain why the reaction among Portuguese media has been so intense. A story that appeared to be settled repeatedly produced another unexpected turn.

Ronaldo leaves one major question unanswered

The most significant uncertainty now concerns what Ronaldo meant when he promised to reveal the truth about his departure.

He has not announced his retirement from international football, and leaving this camp should therefore not automatically be interpreted as the end of his Portugal career.

But his wording has ensured that the story is far from finished.

After 234 appearances and a record 146 international goals, Ronaldo has spent more than two decades at the centre of the Portuguese national team.

Now, on the eve of a Nations League match against Denmark, Portugal must prepare without him while waiting for its captain to explain exactly why he walked away.

And after a day one Portuguese reporter could only describe as “completely crazy”, there may still be more to come.

Excerpt: Cristiano Ronaldo has left Portugal’s camp and promised to reveal “the truth” behind his decision, capping a remarkable day that left even Portuguese journalists stunned.