Portugal's Football Federation Opens a Disciplinary Case Against Ronaldo and Keeps Him Out of the National Team Until It Decides

The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) has opened a disciplinary case against Cristiano Ronaldo over his departure from the national team's camp in Copenhagen on 30 September, and he stays suspended from the national side until it is decided. The federation's Conselho de Disciplina (Disciplinary Council) announced the case on Saturday, ten days after the captain flew out on the eve of the Denmark match.

What the council decided

According to the council's statement, as published by Observador and Notícias ao Minuto, its non-professional section voted on Friday 9 October to open proceedings against "Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro" to establish whether the facts reported to it on 7 October have disciplinary relevance. Until then the player had been under an automatic preventive suspension. The council has now replaced it with a non-automatic preventive suspension and classed the case as urgent.

The file went on Saturday to the FPF's Comissão de Instrução Disciplinar (Disciplinary Investigation Committee), and the statement says its contents will not be made public until the investigation ends. Friday's routine council statement did not mention him; Observador says the federation waited because his registered address is in Riyadh, where he plays for Al Nassr.

What he could face

As reported by Notícias ao Minuto, the relevant rule is article 160 of the FPF's disciplinary regulations, which covers a player who has been properly called up and leaves, or fails without justification to attend, a training session, match or other national team activity. It carries a suspension of one to six months and a fine. The sports daily Record reported that because Ronaldo has admitted the fault, the penalty could be halved, which would put it between about two weeks and three months.

Observador recalled the closest precedent. In 2011 Ricardo Carvalho left a national team camp in Óbidos under Paulo Bento, and the council took 13 days to suspend him from the national side for a year.

Ronaldo asked to be punished

On Tuesday 6 October Ronaldo published a five-page statement setting out his side. He said head coach Jorge Jesus had agreed a plan for his playing time in August and then broken his word, and that a press conference meant to close the matter had instead shown "an attitude of I want, I can and I command" he had never seen from Jesus in private. Jesus said on Wednesday that he had read the statement, but he would not comment on it.

The statement also carried an apology to his teammates. "Despite the absolute breach of trust in the coach's word, I should not have done it. The responsibility is mine alone," Ronaldo wrote. "The consequence of my act must be assessed and punished by the Portuguese Football Federation. I believe the punishment should have no mitigating factors. I am not just any player. I am the team captain, and that is an aggravating factor." He added that, once he has served whatever suspension is imposed, he will be available "as I always have been" to play for Portugal.

What happens next

Ronaldo is expected to be notified and asked for his version, possibly by video link. He played on Friday night, scoring in a 3 to 0 win over Al Diriyah. Notícias ao Minuto notes it is not yet clear whether the preventive suspension has any effect at club level.

The timing matters for November. According to Observador, Jesus names his squad on 6 November for Portugal's last two Nations League group matches, against Denmark and Wales. Whether Ronaldo can be picked depends on how quickly the urgent investigation ends, and on whether any suspension it imposes has been served by then.