Cristiano Ronaldo has been handed a lifeline by his Portugal manager and team-mates, who insist they would welcome his return despite his explosive walkout.
Ronaldo missed Portugal’s 2-1 win over Norway in the Nations League on Sunday after abandoning their international camp due to a row with manager Jorge Jesus.
The iconic forward was fuming that he was left on the bench for the entire first game against Norway a week before. He then missed three training sessions and the Thursday game against Denmark, flying away on his private jet.
He still risks a six-month ban from Portugal duty for his conduct after he also pledged to tell ‘the truth’ about the scandal one day.
There have been reports that Portugal are in negotiations for a possible farewell match for Ronaldo, but these have been dismissed by Portuguese outlet Record. Ronaldo also appeared to not watch the game against Norway as he was on his private jet with his family in a picture shared by his wife Georgina Rodriguez.
But after their comeback victory against Norway, manager Jesus insisted Ronaldo could return in the next international break in November, saying: ‘As far as I’m concerned, everything is open. It’s up to Cris to decide his own life. In the next call-up, if Cris is playing and wants to be in the national team, why not?
‘Resentment? Nothing, it was a misunderstanding. In my opinion, it’s easy to resolve. When will I resolve it? I don’t know. The game is over, and only afterwards will we know how things will turn out.
‘It’s not up to me. To reach an agreement with two people, both people need to talk and agree. That’s not up to me.
‘Just because it was him, and perhaps rightly so because he’s a symbol, this whole problem of him coming on, warming up, not coming on. How many players warmed up today and didn’t come on? Will there be a problem? No.
‘With Cris it’s different, he’s a symbol. But is it a problem? For me it wasn’t a problem. If Cris wants to and is playing for Al-Nassr, he’ll be in the next squad. We talked before this squad and we can talk before the next one. It’s Cris who will decide.’
Portugal needed a 79th-minute winner from AC Milan star Goncalo Ramos to complete their comeback victory in a match which saw Erling Haaland limp off for the opponents.
Despite winning all three of their recent games without Ronaldo, and the shocking nature of his behaviour, his team-mates have said afresh that they want him back.
Full-back Nuno Mendes told Sport TV after the game: ‘We’re a united group, and Cristiano, as well as anyone else who isn’t here, will always be welcomed with open arms.’
Joao Cancelo added: ‘As Bruno (Fernandes) already said, Cristiano is our captain, he is the symbol of our national team, he is the best player Portugal has ever had and things will certainly end in the best way.’
Daily Mail Sports