A page is about to turn in Portugal. Iconic face of the Seleçao for more than two decades, Cristiano Ronaldo undoubtedly burned his last lights with the Portuguese selection. At 41, the star striker left the group aboard his private jet after expressing his dissatisfaction with the statements of his coach, Jorge Jesus.
Beyond the media fallout, this nighttime abandonment places the player in a delicate situation with the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF). According to the texts of the national body, such behavior constitutes a serious violation of the disciplinary regulations relating to national teams. Article 160 of the document provides for strict financial and disciplinary sanctions applicable to any summoned player abandoning a gathering or official activity without legitimate justification.
The most serious consequence on a sporting level lies in the suspension to which the former Real Madrid player is exposed.
“A player who, duly summoned, abandons or does not show up without justification for training, a match or an activity of the national teams or linked to the sporting representation of the FPF or Portugal, is punished with a suspension of one to six months”, stipulates the regulations.
The announcement of his imminent international retirement?
In addition, the application of the text is immediate. According to paragraph two of this same article, the simple observation of absence or abandonment results in an automatic preventive suspension. This means that, while the disciplinary committee rules on his case, the player finds himself excluded from the selections. And to this is added a financial sanction, certainly derisory in view of his fortune.
This disciplinary procedure therefore risks formalizing the definitive end of the international career of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who could nevertheless anticipate it by announcing his international retirement. According to O Jogo, his decision would be made and it would be “final” and “irrevocable”.
