Cristiano Ronaldo is facing a possible suspension following his abrupt departure from the national camp due to disagreements with coach Jorge Jesus. Initially expected to face a lengthy ban, reports suggest his punishment could be reduced to just 15 days.
After suddenly leaving the national camp on September 30 due to differences with coach Jorge Jesus, Cristiano Ronaldo is prepared to accept the punishment of a suspension. However, a recent story in the Portuguese media suggests an unexpected turn of events: the punishment could be shortened to just 15 days, suggesting he might be available during the upcoming international break. In a statement released on Tuesday, Ronaldo explained why he did what he did in Copenhagen. He expressed regret to his teammates and supporters and even demanded that he be punished.
Ronaldo is subject to both a ban and a fine under the rules, according to sources, even if the Portuguese Football Federation has not yet issued an official comment on the subject. But according to legal expert Gonçalo Almeida, who spoke to the Portuguese media site A Bola, the suspension started as soon as he departed the national camp late last month. He clarified that the penalties are unavoidable, but he listed a number of elements that might work in the Portugal captain’s favour.
What Does The Rule State?
Almeida mentioned the disciplinary rules outlined in Article 160 of the Portuguese Football Federation.
The rule states that a player who “is regularly called up, is absent, or fails to attend without justification a training session, a match, or an activity of the national teams or related to the sporting representation of the Portuguese Football Federation or Portugal, shall be punished with a suspension of between one month and six months, in addition to a fine”.
He clarified that although the first part of the rule applies the sanctions categorically.
The second states that “absence or abandonment of play leads to the automatic precautionary suspension of the player”.
Ronaldo is thus already suspended from playing in or representing the national team, according to Almeida, a FIFA judge.
“Then there are proceedings that the Federation’s Disciplinary Council will begin, and Cristiano will be notified, in respect of the principle of due legal process, to give his opinion, and after that we will take a decision which I believe will be very swift,” he said.
Sanction Can Be Slashed To 15 days?
The legal expert claims that Ronaldo will benefit from his social media justification for abandoning the camp prior to the game against Denmark. “The accused may, at any time, admit the facts subject to the proceedings”, and “if the admission is complete and without reservations, and does not raise doubts about its credibility, no further evidentiary measures are carried out, and the minimum and maximum of the applicable sanctions are reduced by half,” are the key points of contention in Article 244 of the Portuguese Football Federation’s disciplinary rules.
