Portugal FA plans Ronaldo meeting to ease tensions after camp departure

The Portuguese Football Federation is seeking a meeting with Cristiano Ronaldo next week in an attempt to resolve tensions after the Portugal captain left the national team’s training camp.

The meeting will take place with Ronaldo’s approval, according to a report by Marca, and is intended to rebuild relations between the player, the federation and head coach Jorge Jesus.

Portuguese officials want to restore the relationship with Ronaldo and bring the dispute to a calm conclusion. They also hope to keep open the possibility of the forward continuing his international career, rather than allowing recent events to bring it to an end.

The federation believes Ronaldo, regarded as one of the greatest figures in Portuguese football, deserves an ending that reflects his contribution to the national team and the respect and dignity associated with his career.

Ronaldo’s departure from the squad on Tuesday caused widespread debate in Portugal. The federation’s statement after the incident made no reference to the dispute and instead concentrated on preparations for the team’s upcoming fixtures.

“The entire national team delegation remains fully focused on the national team’s upcoming commitments and achieving the objectives that have been set,” the statement said.

There had been suggestions that the federation was angered by Ronaldo’s actions and intended to distance itself from him. Those assumptions were reinforced when Rafael Leao wore the number seven shirt in Portugal’s match against Denmark the following day.

However, Marca reported that federation officials are instead attempting to contain the disagreement and return their relationship with Ronaldo to normal.

Portugal’s team officials were also required to allocate Ronaldo’s shirt number to another player because regulations state that squad numbers must run from one to 23. Rafael Leao was therefore given the number seven shirt for the Denmark fixture.

The proposed meeting is aimed at bringing the sides together and preventing the latest dispute from determining how Ronaldo’s international career concludes. No final decision on his future with Portugal has been reported.

Portugal are preparing for their final match of the current international break, when they face Norway on Sunday in the fourth round of the Nations League group stage.