Cristiano Ronaldo is already serving an international suspension after leaving Portugal’s training camp, according to legal expert Goncalo Almeida, but the forward could be available for the next international break if the disciplinary process is completed quickly.
Ronaldo left the Portugal camp before the Nations League match against Denmark following a disagreement with manager Jorge Jesus. He announced his withdrawal on 30 September, one day before the game, and issued a statement on Tuesday apologising to his team-mates and the Portuguese public while asking for disciplinary action against him.
Reports had suggested the 41-year-old could face a suspension and fine under Portuguese Football Federation regulations. Almeida, a lawyer and FIFA judge consulted by A Bola, said the suspension effectively began when Ronaldo left the camp.
Article 160 states that a player who is regularly called up but is absent, fails to attend or abandons a training session, match or national-team activity without justification can be suspended for between one and six months, as well as fined.
Almeida said there was no realistic way for Ronaldo to avoid punishment, adding that the regulations provide for an automatic precautionary suspension when a player is absent or abandons the team.
“Ronaldo is already suspended from participating in or representing the national team,” Almeida told A Bola.
He added that the federation’s disciplinary council would notify Ronaldo and give him the opportunity to present his case before reaching what he expects to be a swift decision. The council can call witnesses and begin proceedings without a formal complaint because the facts are publicly available.
Could Ronaldo’s punishment be halved?
Ronaldo’s public statement could work in his favour under Article 244, which says an accused player may admit the facts at any stage of proceedings. Where the admission is complete, unconditional and credible, the minimum and maximum penalties are reduced by half.
Almeida said Ronaldo had “fully and without reservation admitted leaving the team” in his public statements. If the disciplinary council accepts that position, the minimum punishment of a one-month suspension and a 510-euro fine could become a 15-day suspension and a 255-euro fine.
Portugal return to action on 14 November against Denmark in Braga, before travelling to Wales three days later. Because any automatic suspension is deducted from the final punishment, Ronaldo could be available for that international break, although the outcome depends on how quickly the disciplinary council acts.
“If Cristiano returns, it is not in the interest of the disciplinary council or the federation to suspend him for a long time,” Almeida said. He is also “completely convinced” the case will set a speed record for the announcement of an official decision.
Almeida acknowledged that Ronaldo’s status as Portugal captain could be an aggravating factor, but noted that he had no previous disciplinary record and had served the national team for more than 20 years.
He also cited the absence of disciplinary offences in the same season and the previous three seasons, valuable service to football and sporting merit as mitigating circumstances under Article 44 of the Philippine Football Federation’s disciplinary regulations.
The lawyer played down comparisons with Ricardo Carvalho’s one-year ban from all national-team activities in 2011 after the defender withdrew from a training camp, saying the disciplinary council would take the wider context into account.
