Cristiano Ronaldo has explained that he decided to leave Portugal’s national team camp after feeling that the agreement and assurances given to him by head coach Jorge Jesus had been broken. Ronaldo said that, for him, truth is fundamental in relationships between people, and he chose to leave rather than wait for another promise to be broken.
Ronaldo said that on the morning of the day Jesus held his press conference, he spoke with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) and the coach, asking them to tell him clearly if they no longer wanted him in the team. According to Ronaldo, he told them he would accept such a decision without anger and would continue supporting preparations for a respectful farewell.
However, Ronaldo said both of them told him that his place was still within the national team. He added that in nearly 25 years of international football, he has never interfered with any coach’s technical or tactical decisions, but has always respected the decisions made by his coaches.
Given the situation, Ronaldo said he felt that remaining in camp could have affected the team’s environment. He apologised to his Portugal teammates for leaving, while acknowledging that even though he felt there had been a breach of trust, the decision to leave was ultimately his own responsibility.
Ronaldo also said he is ready to accept any punishment from the FPF for his actions, stressing that as the team captain, he is expected to set an example by following the rules. He said a player’s status should never put them above the law and that everyone involved in football must take responsibility for their actions.
Regarding his farewell from the national team, Ronaldo said Portugal’s fans and citizens will have the opportunity to say goodbye to him, but for now, his main focus is not on saying farewell but on competing and winning with the national team. He recalled the period when his father passed away while he was with Portugal, saying he chose to remain with the team until the end of the following match because representing his country was his priority.
Ronaldo insisted that if he remains physically fit, continues performing well for his club and completes any punishment he may receive, he will remain ready to represent Portugal as he has always done. He concluded by saying that this is his honest account of what happened.
