After the scandal over his voluntary departure: Is Cristiano Ronaldo now facing a lengthy ban?

Cristiano Ronaldo recently caused an uproar when he left the Portugal national team camp of his own accord. Is the 41-year-old now facing a hefty ban as a result?

Portuguese newspaper A Bola cites the statutes of the Portuguese Football Federation. Under those rules, a player who, despite being duly called up, misses a training session, match or another national team activity without good reason can be "punished with a suspension of between one and six months and, if he is a professional player, additionally with a fine of between around 500 and 1,000 euros, corresponding to 102 euros per account unit." Article 160 also provides for an automatic provisional suspension.

That regulation could now come into play. Ronaldo spent the entire match on the bench in the Selecao's 2-1 win against Norway, then walked straight down the tunnel at the final whistle while his team-mates celebrated with the Portuguese fans. He then missed team training on Tuesday before finally leaving the camp.

Why is Cristiano Ronaldo leaving the national team?

Shortly afterwards, Ronaldo confirmed his departure in an Instagram post. "After the coach's press conference and a conversation with the president of the Portuguese federation, I decided to leave the team camp," the superstar wrote. He said he wanted to explain his exact reasons at the "right time". At the same time, he wished Portugal and his team-mates good luck.

Earlier, coach Jorge Jesus had made it clear he would only use the now 41-year-old record goalscorer if he genuinely needed him. That exact scenario arose last Sunday and caused quite a stir in Portugal.

Jesus also showed understanding for Ronaldo's disappointment: "When you warm up for 20 or 30 minutes and then do not come on - nobody is happy about that." But he had decided as coach "that he would not come on", adding: "That is no reason to make a big thing out of it."

Portugal are back in Nations League action as early as Thursday. In the group match against Denmark, however, the Selecao will have to do without Ronaldo. The 2016 European champions currently lead the group ahead of Norway and Denmark. Wales are bottom without a point after two matches.