Carvalho Turns his Back on Portugal
Real Madrid center-back Ricardo Carvalho announced on Wednesday that he was turning his back on the Portuguese national team after walking out of their training camp.
"I didn't intend to end my journey like this," explained Carvalho in a statement, where he complained of a "lack of respect" and said his "dignity had been hurt" but did not offer any further explanation.
"I'm just an athlete among my colleagues. However, like the others I also deserve consideration and respect," he added, in a text cited by Portuguese news agency Lusa.
Earlier in the day, the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) released a statement indicating that Carvalho had left the national team "without explaining the reasons either to the FPF or to the coach (Paulo Bento)."
The defender, named in the squad to face Cyprus in a Euro 2012 qualifier on Friday, "will not travel with the rest of the team to Nicosia," added the FPF.
Carvalho, 33, has 75 international caps.
He joined Real Madrid in August 2010 and reunited himself with coach Jose Mourinho, who he had already followed from Porto to Chelsea in 2004.
Source: Agence France Presse
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