CORNERFLICK
The Portuguese Football Federation plans to hold talks with Cristiano Ronaldo in the coming days after his departure from the national-team camp sparked a backlash in Portugal.
Federation seeks a reset
According to Varzesh3, officials want to draw the 41-year-old back into a better relationship with the federation and, if possible, with head coach Roberto Martinez as well. The aim is to avoid a sour end to Ronaldo’s international career.
The federation issued a statement after Ronaldo left on Tuesday, saying only that it was focused on the team’s sporting interests and the tasks ahead. Its current priority is to calm the situation.
Ronaldo and team-mates stay quiet
Ronaldo posted on social media that he would explain why he decided to leave at the right time, while also wishing Portugal and all of his team-mates success. He said the time would come to tell Portuguese fans what led him to walk away from the squad.
Renato Veiga said after the Denmark match that he was close to Ronaldo but had been told he could not speak about him.
In Lisbon on Friday, banners in support of Ronaldo appeared in several places, including one on the motorway between Estádio da Luz and the airport. It praised the forward and said Jesus was not worthy of his post.