Unexpected development.. Ronaldo and Portugal crisis heading in a different direction

The Portuguese Football Federation has begun taking steps to contain the crisis with Cristiano Ronaldo, following the national team captain's departure from the squad's camp, a move that sparked widespread controversy in Portugal over the past few days.

According to a report published by "Marca" newspaper today, Friday, federation officials intend to hold a meeting with Ronaldo during the coming week, with the player's consent, in an attempt to bridge views among all parties, including coach Jorge Jesus.

The Portuguese Federation wishes to restore its relationship with Ronaldo to normalcy and end the current crisis peacefully, while preserving the possibility of his continued career with the national team and preventing it from ending due to recent events.

Federation officials believe that Ronaldo, as one of the most prominent legends of Portuguese football, deserves an ending worthy of what he has contributed wearing the national team jersey throughout his career, and with the respect and dignity it entails.

The Portuguese Federation issued a statement after Ronaldo left the national team camp on Tuesday, focusing on the sporting preparations for upcoming matches without addressing the details of the crisis.

The statement at the time read: "The entire delegation of the national team continues to maintain absolute focus on the upcoming commitments of the national team and achieving the set objectives."

Many believed that the Portuguese Federation was angry at Ronaldo's behavior and wished to ignore him, especially after granting the number 7 shirt to his teammate Rafael Leão in the Denmark match, the day after the crisis.

However, according to Marca's report, the truth is that federation officials are trying to contain the dispute with Ronaldo and restore the relationship between both sides to normalcy.

Also, Portuguese team officials were forced to give another player Ronaldo's shirt due to regulations requiring national teams to have players' shirt numbers in the list ranging from 1 to 23.

Meanwhile, the Portuguese national team is preparing to play its last match in the current international break against Norway in the fourth round of the UEFA Nations League group stage, scheduled for next Sunday.