'Humiliation after 6,678 days': Ronaldo's unprecedented unauthorized departure — yet the manager ultimately held back: "Come back anytime... if you wish"

*This content was translated by AI.

Despite an unprecedented departure from the national team, the head coach extended a hand of reconciliation. Jorge Jesus, the manager, left the door open for Cristiano Ronaldo (41) to return to the national team after the star had unauthorizedly left the team's lodging over complaints regarding his playing time.

The British media outlet 'BBC' reported on the 5th (Korean time), "Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus stated that Ronaldo can return to the national team at any time if he wishes, leaving open the possibility of a comeback."

Portugal secured a 2-1 victory against Norway in the UEFA Nations League League A Group A4 match held on the 5th, extending their winning streak to four games. They widened the gap with second-placed Denmark to six points and clinched an early qualification for the quarterfinals.

After defeating Denmark (4-2 win) without Ronaldo and then Norway, perfectly concluding the October international window, Manager Jesus finally spoke about the Ronaldo situation.

According to local reports, in a post-match interview, Manager Jesus said, "Ronaldo will return to the Won Han-da-myeon (CEO) team," adding, "We can have a conversation before the next call-up, but the final decision is up to Ronaldo. He must end his national team career in the way he wants, and he will decide that method himself."

He further emphasized, "When I first took over as head coach of the national team, I told Ronaldo, 'Whether you play or not, I need you by my side,' and my thoughts remain exactly the same now."

Previously, on the 27th of last month, during the away match in Norway, Ronaldo stayed on the bench for the entire game despite being in perfect physical condition. It was a full 18 years since 2008 that Ronaldo had been absent for all 90 minutes of a major official match. After warming up throughout the second half but never receiving the call to enter, an enraged Ronaldo went alone to the locker room after the final whistle. Subsequently, when Manager Jesus notified him that he would also be excluded from the starting lineup for the next match against Denmark, Ronaldo abruptly left the Copenhagen lodging and withdrew from the call-up.

Through his personal social media service (SNS), Ronaldo stated, "After watching the manager's press conference, I met with the association president and decided to withdraw. When the time comes, I will reveal the true reason why I left the national team to the Portuguese people," hinting at further disclosures and appearing to be in the process of retiring from international duty. Even more notably, after Ronaldo's departure, Portugal achieved a 4-2 victory against Denmark, with substitute Goncalo Ramos scoring consecutive goals to lead the team to victory.

However, amidst the series of humiliations and conflicts, his national team teammates and the head coach did not withhold their respect for the legend. Joao Cancelo, who scored the winning goal, said, "Ronaldo is our captain and the greatest player in Portuguese history. The situation will end in the best possible way." Nuno Mendes also added support, saying, "If Ronaldo returns, we will welcome him with open arms."

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*This content was translated by AI.