According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, Ronaldo's unauthorized departure from the Portugal national team training camp on September 30 automatically triggered a provisional suspension under the Portuguese Football Federation's disciplinary regulations.

He is currently suspended from representing the national team. Lawyer Gonçalo Almeida provided a detailed explanation of the subsequent disciplinary procedure, the possible range of penalties, and mitigating factors.

Gonçalo Almeida, the lawyer consulted by A Bola, cited Article 160 of the Portuguese Football Federation's Disciplinary Regulations to explain the process following the incident involving the 41-year-old forward in Denmark. This article states that "a regularly called-up player who, without just cause, leaves or fails to attend national team training, matches, or activities, or activities related to the Portuguese Football Federation and Portuguese sports representation, shall be suspended for 1 to 6 months, and if a professional player, also fined 5 to 10 accounting units (510 to 1,020 euros)."

"I don't see any possibility of him not being punished," he said. While the first paragraph of the article makes the application of the penalty mandatory, the second paragraph stipulates that "absence or unauthorized departure will lead to the player's automatic provisional suspension." Gonçalo Almeida, who also serves as a judge on the FIFA Football Tribunal, explained that, as a result, Ronaldo "is already suspended from representing or playing for the national team."

"Subsequently, the Disciplinary Committee of the Federation must initiate a procedure, and under the principle of contradiction, Ronaldo will be notified to present his defense, and then we will have a decision that I believe will be quite swift," he detailed, confirming that the national team captain can present witnesses. Gonçalo Almeida explained that the Portuguese Football Federation's Disciplinary Committee "does not need a formal complaint to act," because "the facts are public."

Ronaldo announced his departure from the national team camp on social media on September 30, on the eve of the match against Denmark, and explained his decision through a statement on Tuesday. This public acknowledgment could benefit the national team captain.

This involves Article 244 of the Portuguese Football Federation's Disciplinary Regulations, which states that "the accused party may at any time admit the facts alleged in the procedure," and "if the confession is full and unreserved, and its credibility is undoubted, no other evidentiary procedures will be conducted, and the minimum and maximum limits of the applicable penalty shall be halved." Gonçalo Almeida emphasized that the Portuguese forward, in his statement on the matter, "has fully and unreservedly admitted to the unauthorized departure."

Therefore, "if the Disciplinary Committee determines so," the penalty will be halved. In the "best-case scenario" for the national team captain, the minimum penalty of one month and 510 euros would be converted into a 15-day suspension and a 255-euro fine.

Portugal will face Denmark again in Braga on November 14, followed by an away match against Wales three days later. Considering that the automatic suspension period will be deducted from the penalty imposed by the Disciplinary Committee, Ronaldo may be eligible to return for the next international break.

However, this still depends on the timeframe for the Disciplinary Committee's decision. "If Ronaldo's return becomes a reality, neither the Disciplinary Committee nor the Federation would want him to remain suspended for too long," he reiterated.

Nevertheless, Gonçalo Almeida is "absolutely convinced" that "this procedure will be handled at record speed."

In his statement on Tuesday, Ronaldo reiterated his full willingness to accept a suspension period. "I understand that there should be no mitigating circumstances for the penalty. I am not an ordinary player; I am the captain, which constitutes an aggravating factor. I have apologized, but I know that actions must have consequences," he emphasized.

Gonçalo Almeida acknowledged Ronaldo's captaincy as an "aggravating factor" but stressed that he has "no disciplinary record in this regard" and has "given everything for the national team" for over 20 years. According to Article 44, paragraph 1, of the Portuguese Football Federation's Disciplinary Regulations, factors such as "no disciplinary record" in the same season and the three preceding seasons, "having provided important services to football," and "having been awarded for sporting merits" are all considered mitigating circumstances.

For Gonçalo Almeida, the lack of "clear case law" favors "case-by-case analysis." Therefore, he downplayed the one-year ban imposed on Ricardo Carvalho in 2011 from any national team-related activities after leaving the training camp.

Thus, the lawyer believes that the Disciplinary Committee "will certainly not ignore this context" and "will not be indifferent to all of this."

AF's PC site is now live! Browse full news, comments, match details and stats on your computer. Visit: www.allfootballapp.com