Cristiano Ronaldo's row with Jorge Jesus is far from over. The Portugal captain's exit from his country's camp has become a matter of public opinion, with opinion sharply split over who carries the blame and growing fears about what the fallout means for the national team's stability.
The Portuguese Football Federation have tried to contain the situation, but press criticism keeps mounting, with questions swirling over the future of the relationship between Ronaldo and his coach, and how deeply the crisis has cut into the dressing room.
Ronaldo issued a lengthy statement setting out his point of view, criticising what he considered a backtracking on previous promises, admitting that he had made mistakes, and confirming his acceptance of the disciplinary punishment. He also stressed his desire to return to the national team and to continue competing and achieving victories in his country's shirt.
Pedro Proenca, president of the Portuguese Football Federation, tried to calm the atmosphere. He confirmed the federation, the coaching staff and the players all want their captain back during the international break in November, but he explained that the disciplinary proceedings would continue and that the final decision rests with the competent authorities.
Writing in "A Bola", journalist Nelson Viteirona questioned the limits of the exceptional status Ronaldo enjoys, stressing that his sporting achievements and his economic and media value should not override collective principles.
He pointed out that the Portuguese star may receive preferential treatment, even with regard to disciplinary sanctions, but he warned that his return cannot happen as if nothing had occurred, given the questions about the nature of his relationship with Jorge Jesus and the position of his teammates inside the dressing room.
Goncalo Almeida, a lawyer and judge at FIFA's Court of Arbitration for Sport, criticised the transformation of Ronaldo's departure from the national team camp into a national crisis, after official statements, social media posts and conflicting accounts escalated.
Almeida felt that these developments had harmed all parties, including the Portugal national team and the country's image, calling for the dispute to be settled away from the spotlight in order to preserve the national team's stability and interests, according to the French website "Foot Mercato".
Former footballer and economist Diogo Luis aimed sharp criticism at the Portuguese federation, arguing that the absence of decisiveness and leadership from the very first moments allowed the crisis to worsen.
He did not absolve Ronaldo of responsibility either, stressing that the dispute, whatever its causes, does not justify leaving the national team camp in the middle of training. The player's attempts to defend his position did not help to calm the situation, he said, but rather made it more complicated.
Jorge Jesus, in his view, showed he was not prepared to yield to pressure from his captain, in a confrontation that revealed the difficulty of balancing Ronaldo's historic standing with collective discipline inside the national team.
Luis concluded his position with an assessment that sums up the scale of the crisis, saying: "I will not say that anyone came out of all this a winner, because frankly I believe that everyone lost."
So the federation want Ronaldo back in November, the disciplinary proceedings grind on and the media criticism rumbles. The most important question remains: will Portugal succeed in turning the page on the dispute, or will their captain's return become the start of a new chapter of controversy about his role and influence within the national team?