Cristiano Ronaldo leaves Portugal camp with staff member after dispute
Cristiano Ronaldo departed Portugal’s national team camp with Antonio Costa after a dispute with coach Jorge Jesus, raising questions about his next steps.
Key Takeaways
AIPortuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo left his national team’s training camp last Wednesday following a dispute with coach Jorge Jesus, according to Portuguese newspaper Record. Ronaldo’s departure came after he spent the full 90 minutes on the bench and was informed by Jesus that he would not start the next match.
The newspaper reported on Sunday that Ronaldo did not leave alone; he was accompanied by Antonio Costa, a member of the national team’s technical staff who also serves as Ronaldo’s personal assistant. Costa was instructed to leave immediately and travel with the team captain.
Ronaldo flew from Copenhagen to Madrid on a private jet, where he spent several days. He is expected to arrive in Riyadh on Sunday to join Al-Nassr’s training ahead of the Saudi Pro League match against Al-Dariyah.
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Jesus’s response and prospects for reconciliation
According to media reports, coach Jorge Jesus has expressed openness to holding a reconciliation meeting with Ronaldo, but the team captain’s position on the matter remains unclear.
Portugal is set to play its final match of the international break against Norway on Sunday, after which the future of the relationship between Ronaldo and Jesus is expected to become clearer.