Edu Aguirre, regarded as a CR7 insider, broke down how the row between the 41-year-old striker star and Portugal coach Jesus escalated. In his view, the coach carries most of the blame for how deep the rift has become.
During a meeting on Tuesday evening, also attended by Ronaldo and Portugal's FA president, Jesus apologised to his forward "for the disrespect he had shown him by making him warm up for 30 minutes instead of letting him play (in the 2-1 in Norway on Sunday, editor's note)", Aguirre reported on El Chiringuito.
Aguirre said Jesus not only apologised to Ronaldo in person, "but also promised him a public apology, that he would publicly admit his mistake. That was Jorge Jesus' promise to Cristiano," Aguirre said. The next day, though, Jesus abandoned that promised public apology at Wednesday's press conference and instead stressed that in future he would also "not bring CR7 on" if he did not need him.
Why does Cristiano Ronaldo feel betrayed by Portugal's coach?
"That's why Cristiano loses it, because he feels betrayed. There's nothing more to say about it, it's as simple as that," Aguirre stressed. He then explained Ronaldo's hurt in more detail: "Your coach comes to you in private: 'Listen, that's how it was, you understand me, okay, I didn't manage the situation well, we're all in the same boat, I'm sorry. If there's a press conference, I'll clear everything up, apologise, don't worry, everything will be fine, everything will be sorted out.' Then 12 hours later you go to the press conference and you are still letting Cristiano down ... Worse still, you act tough, claim you're in charge and Cristiano is just one player among many. Go home and carry on. That's why I say: betrayal."
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In Portugal's first match of the current international period, a 1-0 win over Wales, Ronaldo had still led his national side out as captain. Three days later, new national coach Jesus, who had already coached CR7 at Al-Nassr last season, left the goalscorer on the bench for the full 90 minutes. "If you warm up for 20 or 30 minutes and then don't come on - nobody is happy about that," Jesus said, showing understanding for Ronaldo's anger, but also stressed: "That is no reason to make a big thing out of it."
When did Cristiano Ronaldo leave the national team camp?
Ronaldo first travelled on to Copenhagen, where Portugal now face Denmark on Thursday evening, albeit without him. Then came the breaking point on Wednesday evening, when Ronaldo announced on Instagram that he was leaving the national team camp early. A private jet is said to have picked him up from Copenhagen.
"After the coach's press conference and a conversation with the president of the Portuguese FA, I decided to leave the team camp," CR7 wrote, adding that he would comment in detail on the background to his decision at the "right time". Whether Ronaldo's abrupt exit, after the 234 caps (146 goals) he has earned so far, could amount to the end of his career in a Portugal shirt remains open.