Ronaldo's mother describes phone call with son after Portugal camp walkout

Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro, the mother of Cristiano Ronaldo, has spoken publicly about a candid telephone conversation she had with her son after he walked out of the Portuguese national team's training camp amid a disagreement with head coach Jorge Jesus. Ronaldo's departure came a few days after he was left unused during Portugal's 2-1 victory over Norway in Oslo on September 27. According to his mother, she was stunned and upset by his choice to leave the camp, and she acknowledged that the episode moved her to tears. In remarks to the Portuguese magazine TV 7 Dias, Dolores said she urged her son to remain calm and assured him that she stood behind him. She described herself as sad, calling that a normal reaction, and said the situation came as a shock. In her view, her son could have exited through the main door, yet instead he went out through a smaller one, though she added that God would take care of matters. She said she wept a little, describing the release of emotion as beneficial, and stressed that the family needs to move past the episode. Aveiro, 71, also recounted her first phone call with her son once word of his exit became public. She added that she believes he is not given the recognition he merits in light of what he has achieved for his country. She said he told her not to worry and promised to explain the truth once the family was all together. She replied that he should put it behind him, and the conversation ended there, according to her account. She said she advised him to calm down, but that he had made up his mind regardless, adding that time would tell. Her support, she said, made no difference. Even so, she said, he has contributed a great deal to Portugal and will always be part of it, describing him as the country's hero and saying he is not being valued as he deserves. She added that people fail to appreciate Cristiano, calling him the Portuguese player they have. The dispute arose after Ronaldo left Portugal's training camp before the team's Nations League fixtures against Denmark. The 41-year-old forward alleged that Jorge Jesus had failed to honour an agreement about his playing time in the side's earlier match against Norway. Ronaldo said he had been told he would feature for roughly 30 minutes against Norway but stayed on the bench even after warming up. He also claimed that a later understanding about how the matter would be addressed publicly was not respected. Jesus has disputed parts of Ronaldo's version of events. Despite the rift, Ronaldo has maintained that he remains available to represent Portugal and is prepared to accept any disciplinary sanctions stemming from his exit from the camp.