Portugal suspend Cristiano Ronaldo after walking out on national team

Cristiano Ronaldo has been provisionally suspended as the Portuguese football federation opened disciplinary proceedings against the 41-year-old after his decision to walk out on the national team.

Ronaldo apologised to supporters on Tuesday while criticising the Portugal coach, Jorge Jesus, and said he would serve any “suspension that is imposed” on him.

According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, the FPF confirmed that disciplinary proceedings had been opened.

“Without prejudice to the automatic preventive suspension to which ‌he was subject until the date of initiation, a non-automatic preventive suspension ​of the player was determined, and the proceedings were given urgent status,” the federation was quoted as saying.

Ronaldo gave his ⁠account of the dispute ⁠that prompted his ​departure from Copenhagen before Portugal’s Nations League match against Denmark last week.

Ronaldo said Jesus had agreed a plan under which the forward would ⁠miss the Norway and Denmark matches to manage his fitness. However, on the day of the Norway game, the coach told him he would play for 30 ⁠minutes.

“Everyone knows the rest. I warmed up from half-time onwards, watched the minutes tick by and wasn’t called ​on,” Ronaldo said. “The manager had broken his ‌word to me.”