Cristiano Ronaldo Suspended From Portuguese National Team
Earlier this month, Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo clashed with his national team after he left the squad moments before Portugal’s Nations League game against Denmark, and the FPF (Portuguese Football Federation) is currently assessing what punishment to issue.
Before that, he was benched for the entire game against Norway, which he cited as the reason for his abrupt departure before the Denmark vs. Portugal game. Cristiano claimed that the Portuguese national football team’s coach, Jorge Jesus, had broken promises over his playing time, as they had not agreed to leave him benched for the duration of the game.
Ronaldo did apologize to his teammates, coach, and supporters, addressing that it was wrong to have left the camp. He also called the federation to figure out how to hold him accountable for his actions.
The FPF confirmed on Saturday, October 10th, that there were disciplinary proceedings taking place against Ronaldo, naming the case a Disciplinary Investigation Commission. The federation added that Ronaldo had initially been subject to automatic provisional suspension, but a further suspension was implemented as the case was designated as urgent.
While the final punishment has not been announced, details of the disciplinary proceedings will likely stay confidential until the investigation concludes.
Cristiano, earlier the same week he asked to be taken accountable, said that he would accept whatever punishment he is given, as he still wanted to play for Portugal. Unfortunately for Ronaldo, his fans, and others, he could face harsh punishment, as the federation’s disciplinary regulations indicate that a player who abandons or fails to appear for the team without justifiable reason, whether it is a game or training session, can be sanctioned for one to six months with a fine.
While Ronaldo did mention temporarily leaving the federation, it was not clear whether that decision was justified or not.
There are many different thoughts from different people on the situation, some of them positive as well as some negative. This abrupt abandonment by Ronaldo of the selection he’s played at for several years was something that brought up many questions and opinions.
“I think that Jorge Jesus’s actions were wrong, as he should have kept his word because someone in his position should be doing exactly that: keeping his word- plus, you can’t do that to a player and much less to someone like Ronaldo, who’s a Portuguese legend and the team captain,” said sophomore Diego Lau.
This side represents the opinion of many Ronaldo fans, who claim that Ronaldo leaving would not have happened if Jesus had simply kept his word and respected Ronaldo as an important player for the national team.
“Ronaldo leaving during the international break was a lack of respect, as a player at such a high level and as the Portuguese captain should be setting an example; although I don’t agree with Portugal giving the number 7 to Rafael Leao so quickly, I doubt Ronaldo should’ve done what he did, especially at this point in his career where international football is one of the highest levels he’s playing at. To leave during a disagreement showed very low maturity from that player,” stated freshman Nicolas Sanchez. Apart from being an MLEC student, Nicolas Sanchez recently made it into the HML Varsity team, making him a competitive soccer team member.
This statement shows that while Ronaldo has support, there are many who believe he should be held accountable and that his head coach not keeping his word is not good enough of a reason to abandon his team the way he did.
In addition to that, this is not the first time Cristiano Ronaldo has done something like this, as he’s taken similar questionable actions at previous clubs as well.
On December 6th of 2008, Ronaldo abruptly walked off the pitch, going straight for the tunnel during Manchester United’s win over Sunderland. His team was left playing with one less player, leaving United’s coaches rushing to find an unexpected replacement. While manager Alex Ferguson tried to defend Ronaldo, saying he left due to pain, it was clear the player would’ve gone elsewhere if he left in pain, and he was likely okay with acting out as he’d won the Ballon d’Or earlier that week.
On May 10th of 2009, Ronaldo reacted furiously to a substitution in the heated atmosphere of a Manchester derby (Man City vs. Man United), a time in which there were already increasing signs of Ronaldo becoming distanced from his club (Manchester United). He had scored on City with a free kick but angrily left when subbed off, shaking his head continuously in a public space to show dissatisfaction. The goal scored that day was the last one he scored for Manchester City after 12 years at the club.
Three years after finally getting his much-desired transfer to Real Madrid, signs of discontent began to show, especially when he scored a brace in a 3-0 LaLiga win against Granada but did not celebrate either of the two goals. After the match, he stated he was sad because of a professional issue the club knew about, and refused to elaborate on the statement. He denied money was the problem, but a new contract that was eventually signed, which raised his pay, evidently helped his “sadness,” as not many complaints or actions that suggested dissatisfaction occurred afterwards.
On December 6, 2022, Ronaldo was replaced by Gonçalo Ramos in a round of 16 tie against Switzerland (a more than justified change- as Ramos scored a hat-trick). Many in the team, including the head coach and Gonçalo, claimed it was a strategic switch. Ronaldo’s family, however, did not hesitate to complain about the substitution through posts on social media.
Lastly and most recently, of course, was this month’s incident. While Ronaldo has had several sorts of tantrums over the years, many may say that he has had reason. Whether your side is with, against, or unsure about Ronaldo’s actions, many factors make it unclear who may truly be in the wrong.
