BY NADIA NTIAMOAH
Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) president Pedro Proença has expressed his desire to see Cristiano Ronaldo return to the national team as soon as possible following the forward’s reported fallout with head coach Jorge Jesus.
Proença says the federation wants its captain back with the squad for the November international window, although the disciplinary process arising from the controversy must be allowed to run its course.
The situation follows reports that Ronaldo clashed with Jesus over his lack of playing time, boycotted training sessions and left Portugal’s training camp ahead of their UEFA Nations League match against Denmark.
The 41-year-old forward was reportedly unhappy after being left on the bench during Portugal’s 2-1 victory over Norway on September 27. Ronaldo allegedly believed the coach had promised him 30 minutes of playing time but failed to introduce him during the match.
Jesus has denied making such an agreement, leaving the disagreement at the centre of the controversy that has attracted attention across Portuguese football.
Ronaldo subsequently apologised to his teammates and supporters and acknowledged that disciplinary measures could follow his actions.
Speaking about the situation, Proença emphasised that the federation was eager to reunite with its captain but would not interfere with the disciplinary process.
“We are all very eager to have our captain back. The standard disciplinary process will run its course, and the relevant bodies will assess the situation independently,” Proença said, according to Yahoo Sports.
He added that the immediate objective was to restore calm within the national team and prepare for the next phase of the international campaign.
“What matters to us right now is the desire—expressed notably by our national team coach—to see the captain rejoin us soon. We all, without exception, want to be back together in November,” he stated.
The federation president’s comments suggest that Portugal remain open to Ronaldo’s return despite the controversy, provided the disciplinary process is completed.
Jesus has also sought to maintain stability within the squad following the incident.
The Portugal coach acknowledged the importance of restoring calm after the events surrounding Ronaldo’s departure from camp, particularly with the team focused on its UEFA Nations League objectives.
“We want to win the Nations League. We had four extremely important matches. Given the events, we needed to bring a sense of calm to the team, and that is what we ultimately managed to do,” Jesus said.
