Al Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo has apologised to his Portuguese teammates and fans for abruptly leaving the national team camp following a disagreement with head coach Jorge Jesus over his playing time.
In a statement on Tuesday, the 41-year-old blamed Jesus for his actions, accusing the coach of making him warm up throughout the second half against Norway without bringing him on, despite an initial agreement that he would play for 30 minutes.
“The head coach asked me whether I was OK to play for 30 minutes. I was totally focused on my physical recovery, integrated with my teammates as always, and thinking I would not play that day. No problem at all,” Ronaldo said.
“The rest everyone knows. I warmed up from halftime, watched the minutes go by, and was never called on. The head coach had failed to keep his word.”
The Real Madrid and Manchester United legend, however, acknowledged that he was wrong to withdraw from the national team in the middle of international football despite what he described as a breach of trust by the coach.
“I also owe an apology to my national team teammates for having left the camp. Despite the absolute breach of trust in the head coach’s word, as anyone who witnessed these conversations can attest, I should not have done it. The responsibility is entirely mine.
“I apologise to the Portuguese people once again, but the breaking of one’s word has, for me, a defining impact. I felt that, from that point on, my staying would only harm the group, and I did what I have always said I would do if I did not feel useful: I picked up my bags and left,” Ronald stated.
Ronaldo also dismissed speculation about an imminent retirement from the national team, saying he would always be available for call-ups as long as he is fit and scoring goals for Al Nassr.