Tactically, we have to start with the promise. According to HLN, Jorge Jesus promised Cristiano Ronaldo he would come on against Norway. Ronaldo stayed on the bench for 90 minutes. After a discussion with the coach, he left the training camp. He didn’t like being given false promises “twice”.
The promise of bringing a player on, I know it well. With us, in the third provincial division (Belgium’s Sunday amateur leagues), it’s almost a system of play. “You’re on at the hour.” Then it’s bucketing down, we’re a goal up, pitch 2 slopes the wrong way, and by the 80th minute the lad is still in a bib next to my towel. I no longer promise a precise minute. I promise “the second half”. It leaves some room.
Then the punishment. A 30-day ban from the national team and a 255-euro fine, payable to the Portuguese football federation. According to HLN, Forbes estimates his annual earnings at more than 265 million euros, including a base salary of more than 200 million at Al-Nassr. I did the sum on a beer mat and stopped at the third zero. Information I refuse to take on board, as usual.
Because 255 euros, at our place, is the fines kitty for an entire season. Late for training, one euro. Mobile phone going off during the team talk, two euros. Forgetting the bibs, five euros, and the club delegate often pays. With 255 euros, the clubhouse bar buys us a new ball and the end-of-season meal.
And Ronaldo accepted that the sanction was justified. He told HLN:
“I’m not just any player, I’m the team’s captain. That is an aggravating circumstance.”
A captain who asks for the aggravating circumstance himself. Mine is still contesting the two-euro fine for the mobile phone in 2019. I run that on Tuesday. When we’ve got eleven, that is.
As for the rest, Ronaldo had already been suspended as a precaution, so the sanction started running earlier. According to HLN, he will miss no match and will be available for the next international break, in a month.
It’s true, we checked: HLN.
