Cristiano Ronaldo received a suspension of 30 days and a fine of 255 euros on October 19 for leaving Portugal’s training camp. The Portuguese Football Federation thus resolved the case involving the forward, whose departure from the national team came after disagreements with coach Jorge Jesus.
The ruling sets the punishment at the minimum stipulated by the disciplinary regulations: abandoning the national team can result in a suspension of between one and six months. In this case, the disciplinary body chose the shortest period, along with a financial penalty.
The incident that prompted the proceedings occurred on September 30, when Ronaldo left the Portuguese training camp. Although his disagreement with Jesus was the context for his departure, the sanctioned conduct was leaving the group during the call-up. The commission deemed the charge against the player warranted.
Before the ruling was announced, Ronaldo had publicly acknowledged his mistake. In a statement on October 6, he said he was willing to accept punishment for his decision. That acknowledgment was among the factors the commission considered: in resolving the case, it took into account the remorse expressed by the player.
Image: Cristiano Ronaldo in the friendly between Portugal and Argentina in Geneva on 9 February 2011. File photo: Ludovic Péron / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
