News of Ronaldo in the Danish capital, Copenhagen, topped the headlines of the world press, after the Portuguese national team’s visit to Copenhagen turned into a sudden crisis, as a result of which star Cristiano Ronaldo left the Portuguese national team camp less than 24 hours before facing Denmark in the European Nations League.
The story began during Portugal's match against Norway, when Ronaldo remained on the bench and did not participate. After the match, signs of his anger emerged, and he then did not participate in the national team's training session the following day. The team management explained this by saying he was following a special fitness program in the gym.
Before the match against Denmark, new coach Jorge Jesus attempted to quell the controversy, but he clearly confirmed that Ronaldo would not start the game and that Gonzalo Ramos would be in the starting lineup. Jesus stated that he makes the tactical decisions and that he does not change his plans based on any player.
The crisis erupted at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen. Minutes after the coach's press conference, Ronaldo arrived at the stadium with the rest of the players, but he suddenly left in a car belonging to the Portuguese Federation before the start of training, and did not participate in the training session, even though Jesus had previously said that he would train.
Following this, the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, Pedro Proença, intervened in an attempt to resolve the dispute, but Ronaldo had already decided to leave the training camp. He announced his departure himself via his Instagram account, stating that he had decided to leave after the coach's press conference and a conversation with the federation president, adding that he would reveal the reasons for his decision "in due course.".
Hours later, Ronaldo left Copenhagen on his private plane bound for Madrid, confirming his absence from Thursday evening's match against Denmark in Parken. The Portuguese Football Federation officially announced that the national team's preparations would continue with the remaining 24 players called up.
Thus, a dispute that began over Ronaldo’s role and participation has turned into one of the most controversial crises in the Portugal camp, while the full reason behind his decision to leave remains officially unannounced, amid speculation about his future with the national team.
Tickets turn into another crisis
The repercussions of Ronaldo's absence were not limited to the sporting aspect, as the Denmark-Portugal match had been completely sold out since mid-September, amid great interest from fans to see the Portuguese star in Parken.
With tickets sold out, the Danish Football Association (DBU) warned of the proliferation of counterfeit tickets on the black market. DBU CEO Erik Brüger Rasmussen stated that there were "a number of fake tickets" circulating, cautioning fans against falling victim to scams when purchasing tickets outside official channels. He explained that this problem is particularly prevalent at Parken's home matches featuring big-name teams.
The problem is made more important because Danish law prohibits reselling tickets at a price higher than their original value, and Ticketmaster Denmark warns against buying tickets from unauthorized sellers, not only because of the possibility of paying exorbitant amounts, but also because the ticket may be invalid upon entering the stadium.
After Ronaldo left the Portugal camp and did not participate in the match, the issue became more sensitive for some fans who had bought tickets hoping to see him, while the match itself remained sold out at Parken.
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