Spectacular U-turn over CR7 after suspension! Portugal want to bring Cristiano Ronaldo back
Suddenly everything is different after all: Portugal’s association president Pedro Proenca has announced that Cristiano Ronaldo is once again wanted by the national team. A few hours earlier, however, everything had still looked very different.
On Saturday, the Portuguese Football Federation initially announced it had opened disciplinary proceedings of explicit "urgency" against CR7. That meant the 41-year-old was suspended for the time being while the disciplinary commission considered a punishment for his much-discussed departure.
By the same evening, though, there had been a spectacular U-turn. "The federation, the coach and all his team-mates are in agreement: we want Cristiano back. I assume that he will return during the international break in November," Proenca said in a statement.
The latest twist only adds to the confusion around the superstar. The federation's internal rules actually state that leaving the team camp without permission brings an automatic provisional suspension. Ronaldo had himself picked up by private jet during the XXL international break after he had not been in the starting line-up in two consecutive matches.
What did CR7 do? The saga surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo
A few days later, in an extremely long statement, he accused coach Jorge Jesus of having broken his word. The veteran also set out an eight-point plan that Jesus had not adhered to. It also included sentences and an apology that Portugal's coach should have said at a press conference.
Still, Ronaldo apologised both to his team-mates and his fans for his departure and admitted his misconduct also deserved consequences. "I am aware that there must be no mitigating circumstances for this punishment. I am not just any player – I am the team captain – and that constitutes an aggravating circumstance," he explained.
Now, after Proenca's surprising statement, it is completely open what the punishment will be. Originally, it had been assumed there would be a suspension of up to six months for all international matches. It is also not known when the commission will announce its decision. Provided that it still carries any weight at all after the president's intervention.
