Cristiano Ronaldo has accused Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus of failing to keep promises, according to The Guardian. The Portugal forward also said he is not retiring from international football, but wants to be punished for walking out of the national team camp, the BBC reported.
Ronaldo broke his silence over the walkout in a statement, Sky Sports reported. In it, he set out his reasons for leaving the squad and made clear that his disagreement is with the coach rather than with the team.
ESPN reported, citing sources, that Ronaldo will not return to the Portugal side while Jesus remains in charge. That position ties his future with the national team directly to the coach's tenure.
The reports from The Guardian, the BBC, Sky Sports and ESPN followed the same sequence of events: Ronaldo left the camp, then issued a statement, and then faced questions about whether he would play for Portugal again. The BBC's account notes that he does not intend to retire, and RTE.ie reported that he believes leaving the camp should carry a punishment.
What happens next depends on two things: whether the Portuguese federation acts on Ronaldo's request to be disciplined, and whether Jesus stays in the job. Until both are settled, Ronaldo's Portugal career remains on hold.
