The key facts

  • Ronaldo left the national team camp on 30 September in Copenhagen ahead of the game against Denmark
  • The FPF Disciplinary Committee imposed a 30-day suspension and a 255-euro fine
  • Part of the suspension has already been served: 11 days remain, and the player may feature against Denmark on 14 November and Wales on 17 November

Decision of the Disciplinary Committee

The Disciplinary Committee of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) suspended Cristiano Ronaldo for 30 days and fined him 255 euros for leaving the national team training camp without permission. According to euronews, part of the punishment has already been served: the suspension counts from 1 October, so 11 days remain. This means that the player, who plays for Saudi club Al-Nassr, may be available for the national team's matches against Denmark on 14 November and Wales on 17 November in the Nations League.

Timeline of the conflict

On 30 September, Ronaldo left the national team camp before a training session at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, without giving prior notice to anyone at the FPF or the team. According to the committee's documents, the player informed federation president Pedro Proenca of his decision by phone, saying he was not in a suitable emotional state to remain with the team. According to Kun.uz, the trigger was a public statement by new head coach Jorge Jesus that he did not guarantee the 41-year-old forward a place in the starting lineup. On 6 October, the footballer released a statement on Instagram explaining his decision and accusing the coach of breaking promises. On 9 October, disciplinary proceedings were opened and given urgent status, and the next day the materials were passed to the disciplinary committee, which decided on the suspension.

Mitigating and aggravating circumstances

The committee's decision notes that Ronaldo asked for mitigating circumstances to be taken into account: the absence of disciplinary sanctions in the current and three previous seasons, his services to football, awards for sporting achievements, and his assistance in establishing the material truth. The player submitted a sporting CV with career awards, and as his contribution to establishing the truth he referred to his Instagram statement of 6 October. The committee also took into account his expression of remorse in that statement. At the same time, in the FPF's view, there were also aggravating factors — the media coverage of the case and the player's role as team captain.

Lighter than possible

As Kun.uz notes, Article 160 of the regulations provides for a suspension of one to six months for leaving a training camp without permission, and for a professional footballer a fine of roughly 500 to 1,000 euros. The actual punishment turned out to be minimal in duration, and the fine below the established range. The suspension does not prevent Ronaldo from playing for Al-Nassr. According to Kun.uz, thanks to the 30-day term the player will not miss a single national team match; earlier, Jesus had not ruled out the forward's return to the national team.