Cristiano Ronaldo succeeded in having his penalty reduced after leaving Portugal’s training camp, despite previously stating publicly that the punishment should be applied “without mitigating circumstances”.
Following his departure from the camp in Denmark last month, Ronaldo published a lengthy social media statement saying the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) should discipline him as it considered appropriate. He also acknowledged that being captain should count as “an aggravating factor”.
During the disciplinary council’s investigation, however, the 41-year-old submitted several reasons why the penalty should be reduced, citing his strong disciplinary record in recent seasons and his contributions to football.
Ronaldo was handed a 30-day suspension and a €255 (£215) fine. The written ruling shows that he offered three mitigating factors: his disciplinary record during the current and previous three seasons, his services to football and recognition for sporting excellence, and his cooperation in clarifying the circumstances of the case.
In support of his case, Ronaldo detailed the trophies he has earned at club level and his successes with Portugal, including the 2016 European Championship and two Nations League titles. He also referred to his individual accolades, notably winning the Ballon d’Or five times, as well as honours awarded to him by senior government officials.
The disciplinary panel accepted the arguments relating to Ronaldo’s sporting achievements and service to Portugal, reducing both the suspension and fine by half. The sanctions were then cut by half once more because he acknowledged responsibility for his conduct.
Ronaldo will serve the suspension during a period when Portugal have no international fixtures. It remains uncertain whether he plans to rejoin the national side or whether coach Jorge Jesus will call him up again.
The official account offers more detail about Ronaldo’s exit from the training camp. After Jesus held a press conference stressing that he controlled team selection and would not be influenced by any player, Ronaldo asked the FPF to provide a vehicle and travelled to Copenhagen airport.
While on his way to the airport, he contacted federation president Pedro Proença and said he was “not in the right frame of mind” to continue with the squad.
According to the ruling, Ronaldo neither notified the federation nor gave national-team officials advance justification for his decision to leave the stadium and training camp. Between 30 September and 4 October, he was absent from more than 30 scheduled team activities, including journeys, training sessions and meals.
The federation also said Ronaldo’s social media pledge to reveal “the whole truth” to his supporters attracted additional negative attention to the episode. Because of his worldwide profile, the panel found that he should have anticipated the intense media interest his actions would generate.
The inquiry determined that Ronaldo was expected to be especially careful about when and how he voiced dissatisfaction with the coach’s decisions and behaviour. Instead, it said his Instagram post on the day he departed Copenhagen increased speculation by promising that he would eventually explain to the Portuguese public why he had left the senior national squad.
Portugal’s next match is scheduled to be another meeting with Denmark in Braga on 14 November.
What do you feel about this post?
Like
Love
Happy
Haha
Sad
