Ronaldo won't play for Portugal in upcoming fixtures against Croatia and Italy
The former Real Madrid star and Portugal national team player reportedly refused to play for his country in the upcoming fixtures against Croatia and Italy. Portugal is scheduled to play Nations League matches that will be played during the International break.
As per schedule, they will first face Croatia at Estádio Algarve in Portugal on September 7 before the Italy clash in Lisbon on September 10. But Cristiano Ronaldo has made himself unavailable for selection.
The Portugal star will remain in Turin to train for Juventus and decided to devote his time and concentration to his new club. He is expected to make his Champions League debut one week after the International break, and the Portuguese wants to be 100% fit and ready to play in the competition that Juve fans have been dreaming of winning for the last 22 years.
Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid after nine seasons for Juventus in a reported €100 million transfer in July. He took some time off after representing Portugal in the FIFA World Cup 2018.
He did not play against his former team as part of the International Champions Cup clash. Now it will be interesting to see how fans respond to the Juventus striker Cristiano Rinaldo's decision.
As reported by the website Gazzetta dello Sport, If "the one" upside down has changed (also) the history of his career, Cristiano Ronaldo has already meditated another. And it is a turnaround that Juventus is certainly peased of.
For this reason, he will give up the next two matches with his national team; the friendly against Croatia and the Nations League match against Italy on 10 September, in Lisbon. Which is a good news for Juventus and also for Mancini.
Ronaldo could have played in the Lisbon, but the striker chose to stay in Turin. As the Portugal’s all-time top goalscorer and skipper wants to make his new team the priority. He is keen to remain in top physical shape and to get to know his new teammates better. He also wants to help the Turin club win the Champions League after twice finishing runners-up in the past four seasons.
Meanwhile, Juventus have won their first two championship games this season as they chase an eighth consecutive league title but Ronaldo has yet to score for his new club.
Just over a week after Portugal-Italy clash, it will be the time to play the first Champions League Clash against the Bianconeri. His favorite garden but also the horizon to show even more clear to his new team: it is a nice overturned this too."