Cristiano Ronaldo left Portugal's training camp on Wednesday, one day before the team's match against Denmark, according to De Telegraaf. The 41-year-old, who was on the bench, also skipped a training session, the paper reports.
De Telegraaf describes the situation around the national team as a crisis. It reports that the president of the Portuguese football federation had to step in to contain the fallout. Ronaldo's exit was covered by several Dutch outlets, including NU, NOS and AD, all of which reported that he departed the squad.
According to those reports, Ronaldo said he would tell the public the truth in due course. De Telegraaf reported that he was angry at being left out. Voetbal International reported that the coach, referred to as Jesus, responded to suggestions of unrest around Ronaldo and explained why the player had not trained.
The reports do not give a reason for Ronaldo's omission from the starting line-up, and none of the outlets said whether he remains available for future matches. The exact nature of the federation president's involvement was also not detailed.
Portugal play Denmark on Thursday. Whether Ronaldo returns to the squad, and what he says publicly about his exit, will be the main points to watch.
