LISBON — Cristiano Ronaldo ruled himself out of Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid send-off ahead of the “Special One’s” Chelsea return with an injury, but it didn’t stop him partying until 7am.
Daily Mail
The Real Madrid superstar emerged from Lisbon’s Lust nightclub at 7am on Sunday morning, just hours after missing Real Madrid’s final match of the season amid rumours of a fallout between him and compatriot Mourinho.
Ronaldo has been linked with a move away from the Bernabeu, and new Stamford Bridge boss Mourinho delivered a parting shot at the superstar, suggesting he and fellow rebels Pepe and Iker Casillas had deliberately ruled themselves out of his last game in charge, a 4-2 home win over Osasuna.
Despite Ronaldo’s injury, he is thought to have flown into Portugal on Saturday and is believed to have gone for a late dinner at a restaurant before eventually meeting up with some footballer friends — including Reading’s Daniel Carrico and countrymen Manuel Fernandes — at the club.
The split between Mourinho and his players was never as clear as in the tunnel before the final home game of the season as he waited until the last moment possible to take to the pitch.
Ronaldo was also in the tunnel waiting to be awarded a post-season prize and not a word was exchanged between the pair.
Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa admitted Mourinho had been betrayed by his players. He said: “Mourinho gave everything for the club; always putting it first and sometimes his image was affected by that. I am not sure everyone else, players included, can say the same.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
“A lot of us worried that we might look bad in the media. We worried about having a good public image and we spoke always for our own benefit. There is a good group of players here and we all have a good relationship but perhaps we lacked maturity at times.”
Ronaldo was also back in training for his national side on Monday ahead of their World Cup Qualifier with Russia on Friday.
Portugal lie third in Group F, one point behind their opponents on Friday — who top the group — and behind Israel on goal difference.
