Cristiano Ronaldo unexpectedly left the Portugal national team camp at the UEFA Nations League on Wednesday and then dropped a cryptic note on Instagram about “the truth” of the situation. This seems to stem from a disagreement with Portugal manager Jorge Jesus, after he kept Ronaldo on the bench in the team's last match against Norway and announced he would not start against Denmark on Thursday.
“After the press conference of the national team, and following a conversation with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, I have made the decision to leave the national team training camp,” Ronaldo posted on Instagram (h/t ESPN). “In due course, I will tell all the Portuguese people the truth about the reasons that led me to leave the national team, to which I always dedicated myself. Now is the time to wish Portugal and all my teammates good luck, without exception.”
While Jesus has denied any tension between himself and the 41-year-old Portugal icon, it's hard not to read into what happened between the manager and Ronaldo in the last few days. Additionally, Jesus' comments on the matter also seem to suggest he's trying to send a message to his superstar.
Article Continues Below“I don't know what's going to happen in the game,” Jesus said. “If we need [Ronaldo] to play [at some point], he'll play. If not, he won't.”
He also talked about how the “rules are the same for everyone, and added, “I can promise whatever I want, I'm the coach. No player will ever make a decision for me.”