Portugal suspends Cristiano Ronaldo and opens disciplinary proceedings

The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) announced on Saturday that it had provisionally suspended Cristiano Ronaldo and opened disciplinary proceedings against the 41-year-old, according to France 24. The federation classified the case as "urgent" and said Ronaldo is suspended pending a decision on the final punishment. The Guardian, citing the Portuguese newspaper A Bola, reported the FPF said a "non-automatic preventive suspension of the player was determined, and the proceedings were given urgent status".

France 24 reported that Ronaldo left the squad after being made to warm up as a substitute against Norway on 27 September without coming on, and then learning he would not start against Denmark on 1 October. The Guardian reported he gave his account of the dispute that prompted his departure from Copenhagen before the Denmark match. He apologised to supporters on Tuesday while criticising coach Jorge Jesus and said he would accept any punishment imposed.

Ronaldo said Jesus had agreed a plan under which he would miss the Norway and Denmark matches to manage his fitness, but that on the day of the Norway game the coach told him he would play for 30 minutes, The Guardian reported. "Everyone knows the rest. I warmed up from half-time onwards, watched the minutes tick by and wasn't called on," Ronaldo said. "The manager had broken his word to me." The Guardian reported that Jesus did not acknowledge any mistake.

Ronaldo said he was not retiring from international duty and would be available once any punishment was served. "I will be available, as I have always been until today, to compete and win for our national team," he said, according to France 24. In a post to his 679 million Instagram followers, he wrote that he expected a suspension under federation rules and promised fans "we will have one or more farewell matches", The Guardian reported.

France 24 reported Portugal won all four of their Nations League matches and qualified for the quarter-finals with two games to spare. The Guardian reported Ronaldo was an unused substitute or absent for three matches, all of which Portugal won, and that his replacement, Gonçalo Ramos, scored three times. Ronaldo returned to club action on Friday with Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr and scored as they won 3-0 against Diriyah in a Saudi Pro League match, France 24 reported.