A press report has revealed how Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença views Cristiano Ronaldo’s statement condemning national team coach Jorge Jesus for breaking his promise twice, the row that drove the forward out of the squad’s training camp in Denmark.Ronaldo apologised to the Portuguese people and to his teammates. The Portugal captain insisted the situation “constitutes an aggravating circumstance” and that his conduct “must be assessed and punished”.According to the newspaper “Record”, Ronaldo could face punishment tomorrow when the disciplinary council’s non-professional section meets to decide a sanction. His admission could halve the suspension, as the regulations allow. A maximum ban of six months would drop to three, and the minimum of one month would fall to 15 days.Ronaldo has made no secret of his desire to return to the Portugal national team. Proença, for his part, backed the chances of reconciling player and coach, a reunion that would let Ronaldo rejoin the squad in March for the Nations League finals once the dispute is settled.Jorge Jesus responded tersely to Ronaldo’s statement. “I will go to the federation to work and think about the team and the national team,” he said, and added nothing more.Keen to calm the atmosphere and avoid further complications, Proença chose to stay silent. He is convinced the diplomatic path will ease a reconciliation.
