An official step: a striking development in Cristiano Ronaldo's future with the Portugal national team
After the angry departure
A controversial crisis threatened to fracture Cristiano Ronaldo's relationship with the Portuguese national team. Now he looks set to return to the ranks of "the Brazil of Europe", after coach Jorge Jesus took a decisive step over the Al-Nassr captain's involvement in November's upcoming international break.
Saudi club Al-Nassr have received an official letter from the Portuguese Football Federation, requesting the call-up of Ronaldo and his teammate Joao Felix for two important matches against Denmark and Wales in the UEFA Nations League.
According to Saudi newspaper "Arriyadiyah", the Portuguese Federation sent an official request to Al-Nassr's management to call up the pair ahead of the upcoming camp. That strengthens the possibility of Ronaldo's return after the crisis that saw him storm out of the camp last September.
Portugal face Denmark on 14 November in Braga, before travelling to Wales three days later in the final round of Group Four fixtures in the UEFA Nations League.
The Portuguese Football Federation announced last week that Ronaldo would be suspended for 30 days over his departure from the national team camp on 30 September. But the penalty was counted retroactively from the date of the incident, meaning the suspension ends before the start of the November break.
That makes the captain eligible to return once the disciplinary penalty is closed. Attention now turns to his relationship with the technical staff, and whether he can overcome a dispute that raised plenty of questions about his future with the national team.
Ronaldo, aged 41, published a lengthy statement on 7 October. He apologised to the Portuguese fans and his teammates for his behaviour, trying to contain the fallout. The player also revealed that his relationship with Jorge Jesus had ended, a twist that only deepened the ambiguity, especially given the disputes surrounding his role within the national team of late.
The roots of the crisis trace back to a row over Ronaldo's role in the match between Portugal and Norway, which Portugal won 2-1. According to the details, the Al-Nassr captain accused his coach of reneging on a promise to keep him on the substitutes' bench, and of failing to stick to the formula they had agreed to contain the dispute, during a press conference that preceded the Denmark match, which Portugal settled with a 4-2 win.
Matters did not stop at a technical disagreement. Ronaldo took the surprise decision to leave the camp in Copenhagen straight after the press conference, stirring wide controversy within Portuguese sporting circles. The incident snowballed into a genuine crisis over the captain's future, with questions mounting about his relationship with the technical staff and the possibility of being dropped from the plans for the upcoming fixtures.
With the official call-up letter now at Al-Nassr, the path looks paved for Ronaldo's return in November. One big question remains, though. Does his comeback mean the end of the disputes for good, or does the crisis still have other chapters to come?
