Cristiano Ronaldo Fines and Disciplinary Ban
Cristiano Ronaldo received a 255-euro fine and a 30-day suspension from the Portuguese Football Federation following his unauthorized departure from the national team’s training camp in Copenhagen on September 30, tnlive.sk reported. The disciplinary action concludes a high-profile dispute between the forward and national team head coach Jorge Jesus just one day before a UEFA Nations League match against Denmark.
The 41-year-old Al-Nassr forward fought until the last minute to mitigate his punishment for the unexpected rebellion in the national team, as reported by the daily Record. The scandal began when the captain departed without any warning to head coach Jorge Jesus or federation management. Ronaldo shed light on the controversy in his statement on October 6, explaining that his departure was a reaction to a broken promise from the coach, who allegedly assured him he would play at least 30 minutes in the previous victorious match against Norway (2:1) but ultimately left him on the bench. Ronaldo also wanted to dictate what the coach should say to the media and reportedly wanted to protest because Jesus did not sufficiently explain the situation at a press conference as supposedly agreed, besides being upset about not going to greet fans after the Norway match. Ronaldo had stated earlier that he would accept any punishment and be available to the coach afterward. The national federation issued its verdict on a Monday following disciplinary proceedings, noting that the long-time captain violated Article 160 of the disciplinary regulations, which carries a suspension of one to six months and a fine ranging from 510 to 1020 euros. Ronaldo’s close friend, British journalist Piers Morgan, also reacted to the penalty.
The Disciplinary Defense and Penalties Imposed
During the disciplinary proceedings, Ronaldo’s legal representatives argued for leniency by citing his historical achievements, including 234 appearances and 146 goals for Portugal, as detailed by sport.aktuality.sk. To soften the federation, he also reminded them of state honors, his designation as the best Portuguese player of the century in 2015, and the fact that he was once the youngest captain in national team history. Ronaldo additionally put forward an admission of guilt and a plea for recognition of his sporting merits. The Portuguese Football Federation’s disciplinary committee adopted a compromise stance, recognizing the first two arguments regarding his extraordinary services and sporting merits while firmly rejecting his third argument concerning a decisive contribution to uncovering the facts, stating that the details were an open secret and the federation did not need his help to clarify the case. The committee applied Article 160 of the disciplinary regulations, issuing the 255-euro fine alongside a 30-day ban calculated retroactively from the date he left the camp. Because 19 days of provisional suspension had already elapsed, Ronaldo faced only 11 remaining days on the ban, clearing him to return to international duty by October 30.
Ronaldo Earns Fine Amount in 38.6 Seconds
The Portuguese sports newspaper And She Was published calculations showing that Ronaldo earns a base salary at his club Al-Nassr—with bonuses potentially pushing it higher—making the 255-euro fine equivalent to roughly 0.00012 percent of his yearly earnings—an amount he earns in approximately 38.6 seconds. And She Was stated that the outcome made Portuguese football rules appear laughable to the rest of the world, noting that the global audience now understands the exact price for abandoning a national squad, with foreign media and social networks also drawing amused and mocking reactions that the Portuguese press took note of.
Upcoming International Fixtures
Despite the disciplinary turmoil surrounding its captain, the Portuguese national team won all four matches during the autumn international break and secured early qualification for the Nations League quarterfinals, sportky.zoznam.sk reported. Jorge Jesus plans to select Ronaldo for upcoming matches in November. Portugal is scheduled to face Denmark on November 14 and travel to play Wales on November 17, with the veteran forward fully eligible to participate once his suspension concludes.
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