Portugal: where is Cristiano Ronaldo?

After leaving the Portugal camp, Cristiano Ronaldo headed to Madrid aboard his private jet

Europe Today at 18:18

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Portugal: where is Cristiano Ronaldo?

Having left the camp hastily, Cristiano Ronaldo departed Copenhagen on Wednesday evening, a few hours after publicly announcing his decision.

But where is Cristiano Ronaldo after his high-profile departure from the Portugal camp? The answer is becoming clearer. According to A Bola, the Portuguese forward’s private jet took off from Copenhagen on Wednesday evening at 10:30 p.m. Portuguese time, bound for Madrid.

A few dozen minutes earlier, the 41-year-old had been seen arriving in the area reserved for private flights at Copenhagen Airport. Ronaldo was still wearing Portugal’s training kit, a sign of how quickly his departure had been arranged. His aircraft had previously travelled to the Danish capital from Madrid to collect him.

Cristiano Ronaldo heads to Madrid

At the time of his departure, Ronaldo was therefore on his way to the Spanish capital, a city with which he retains strong ties after spending nine seasons at Real Madrid. However, there is no indication that the trip is connected to his former club; it is simply the announced destination of his private flight.

The Portugal captain has thus left his teammates in Copenhagen less than 24 hours before the match against Denmark in the Nations League. His departure comes after several days of tension with Jorge Jesus, particularly since he was not used in the 2-1 victory over Norway.

Ronaldo had announced his departure himself

A few hours before heading to the airport, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner confirmed his decision on Instagram after a conversation with Pedro Proença, president of the Portuguese Football Federation.

“After the national team manager’s press conference, and following a conversation with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, I have decided to leave the national team camp. In due course, I will tell all Portuguese people the truth about the reasons that led me to leave the national team.”

The statement stands in stark contrast to comments he made a few days earlier. Ronaldo had said that he would accept leaving if the manager or the federation felt he was no longer useful, while insisting that he remained fully available to help the national team.

Portugal will now have to cope without its captain

Ronaldo’s departure therefore leaves Jorge Jesus without his captain for the Portugal team’s next fixture. Portugal are due to face Denmark this Thursday in Group A4 of the Nations League, before continuing their camp without the Al-Nassr star.

The big question now concerns what happens next. Ronaldo has not announced his international retirement and has simply promised to reveal the exact reasons for his departure at a later date. His return to the national team for the next camp therefore remains entirely uncertain at this stage.

Also read: Portugal: Ronaldo’s sister delivers incendiary message!