Inquiry chose to halve, then halve again his punishment

Cristiano Ronaldo successfully fought to reduce his punishment for walking out on a Portugal training camp after publicly saying his sanction should be imposed “without mitigating circumstances”.

In a lengthy statement on social media after he left the camp in Denmark last month, Ronaldo said he should be punished as the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) saw fit, adding that his role as captain constituted “an aggravating factor”.

However, during the disciplinary council’s inquiry, the 41-year-old put forward several arguments for cutting his punishment. Ronaldo received a 30-day suspension and €255 fine, and the document accompanying the ruling reveals he presented three arguments in mitigation: his disciplinary record this season and in the previous three seasons; his services to football, including recognition for sporting merit; and his contribution to establishing the facts of the case.

To support these arguments, Ronaldo listed the club titles he has won and his achievements with the national team: the 2016 European Championship and two Nations League titles. His individual awards were also highlighted, including his five Ballon d’Or wins. Beyond his achievements on the pitch, he mentioned the honours he had received from senior state officials.

The decision-makers accepted Ronaldo’s arguments concerning his achievements and services to the country, opting to halve his suspension and fine. The punishment was then halved again because Ronaldo accepted responsibility for his actions.

Ronaldo’s suspension will be served in a period during which there are no international matches. It is unclear whether he intends to return to the national team, or whether head coach Jorge Jesus will select him again.

The account of events provides a clearer picture of the circumstances surrounding Ronaldo’s departure from the training camp. After Jesus held a press conference in which he reiterated that he was in charge of the team and that no player would influence his selection decisions, Ronaldo requested a vehicle from the FPF and set off for Copenhagen airport.

During the journey, he called the Portuguese federation’s president, Pedro Proença, and told him he was “not in the right frame of mind” to remain with the team.

“The defendant [Ronaldo] did not inform or provide prior justification to the federation or the men’s national team officials regarding his intention to leave the stadium and the training camp,” the ruling states.

It adds that between September 30th and October 4th, Ronaldo missed more than 30 team activities, including travel, training sessions and meals.

The federation says Ronaldo’s promise on social media, after leaving the training camp, to tell his fans “the whole truth” brought further negative attention to the incident. “Given his prominence as a public figure on a global scale, the defendant could not have been unaware that his conduct, in the circumstances in which it occurred, would be subject to intense media scrutiny, as indeed it was.”

Ronaldo was therefore “expected to exercise particular caution in choosing the timing and manner in which he expressed his dissatisfaction with the manager’s decisions and conduct”.

Instead, he “further fuelled speculation and public curiosity by posting on Instagram on the very day he left Copenhagen, announcing that, ‘in due course’, he would tell ‘all Portuguese people the truth about the reasons that led to his departure from the men’s senior national team’,” the inquiry concluded.

Portugal are scheduled to play Denmark again in their next game on November 14th in Braga. – Guardian