Portugal: Ronaldo's sister issues a fiery message!

Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from the Portugal squad continues to provoke reactions, and his sister Elma Aveiro has hit back.

Tensions are rising around the Portugal team. Cristiano Ronaldo left the Seleção squad on Wednesday, a few hours after Jorge Jesus’ press conference. The Portugal captain, who remained on the bench during the 2-1 win over Norway, announced his decision on Instagram after speaking with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença.

“After the national team manager’s press conference, and following a conversation with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, I made the decision to leave the national team squad. In due course, I will tell all Portuguese people the truth about the reasons that led me to leave the national team,” wrote the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

Elma Aveiro hits back

Cristiano Ronaldo’s sister quickly reacted on social media. Elma Aveiro shared a lengthy and particularly scathing message defending her brother:

“CR7 deserved more respect. The national team deserved better organisation. Portuguese journalism deserved greater competence and less speculation.”

The message went even further, lamenting the attitude of some Portuguese fans before concluding: “Thank you for everything, CR7! You deserve better.” Elma Aveiro accompanied the post with a very brief comment: “That says it all”.

Discomfort emerged after the match in Norway

This sequence comes a few days after Jorge Jesus’ explanation for Ronaldo’s absence against Norway. Available for selection, the 41-year-old forward remained on the bench for the entire match, an extremely rare situation for the national team when he is fit to play.

His absence from training subsequently fuelled questions. Ronaldo did not take part in the collective session preceding his departure, while Jorge Jesus publicly insisted that there was no major problem with his captain.

Portugal continue their Nations League campaign without Ronaldo

Portugal must now continue their Nations League campaign without their most-capped player. The Seleção will face Denmark on October 1, before facing Norway again on October 4.

At 41, Cristiano Ronaldo has made 234 appearances and scored 146 goals for Portugal. His message has now cast serious doubt over the future of his international career, although the player has not announced his retirement at this stage and has promised to speak at greater length “in due course”.

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Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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