Cristiano Ronaldo has broken his silence after leaving Portugal’s training camp amid speculation over his relationship with head coach Jorge Jesus.
LISBON: Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has broken his silence over his decision to leave the national team’s training camp, amid speculation surrounding his relationship with newly appointed head coach Jorge Jesus.
Ronaldo said he decided to leave the camp after holding discussions with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) and following the national team’s press conference.
The veteran forward did not disclose the exact reasons behind his decision but indicated that he would explain the matter to the Portuguese public when the time was right.
The development came shortly after Portugal’s 2-1 victory over Norway, a match in which Ronaldo remained among the substitutes and did not feature on the pitch.
The Portuguese Football Federation confirmed that the 41-year-old forward was absent from training. However, head coach Jorge Jesus has rejected speculation that there is a disagreement between him and Ronaldo.
Ronaldo had recently reaffirmed his commitment to representing Portugal, making his latest departure particularly significant as questions emerge over his future with the national side.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is also approaching another major career milestone. Ronaldo has scored 979 career goals and needs just 21 more to reach 1,000 goals.
For now, the Portugal captain has left the reasons for his decision undisclosed, saying he will address them publicly at an appropriate time.