"I feel in great shape, both physically and mentally, like my performances for the club and the national team have shown. If they make me feel like a burden and will not tell me, the only possibility is to leave," the statement reads.

"I have never felt this disrespected and hurt in my dignity before. Between my peers, I am just one more athlete. However, I, too, deserve consideration and respect.

"I did not plan to end my international career this way but I do it convict that I always honoured my country."


Wtf this was sudden, not bad news for Real Madrid but was it the right choice?

EarlyPrototype wrote:"I feel in great shape, both physically and mentally, like my performances for the club and the national team have shown. If they make me feel like a burden and will not tell me, the only possibility is to leave," the statement reads.

"I have never felt this disrespected and hurt in my dignity before. Between my peers, I am just one more athlete. However, I, too, deserve consideration and respect.

"I did not plan to end my international career this way but I do it convict that I always honoured my country."


Wtf this was sudden, not bad news for Real Madrid but was it the right choice?

Did they drop him or something?

His teammates must have made remarks about him being over the hill and a liability.

Pretty harsh, but he IS past it and most likely will continue to deteriorate until Euro 2012 and WC 2014, so perhaps it's all for the best.

LOL which teammates? I'm pretty sure he has the support of Pepe , Ronaldo and Corentrao.IMO they needed him for 2012,

Cuz Pepe + Rolando/bruno alves = tactical failure.

Carvalho over it? smh yet he starts for a top 3 team.

imo Portugal won't win anything anyways. Both sides won't lose much sleep.

Catracho wrote:Carvalho over it? smh yet he starts for a top 3 team.

imo Portugal won't win anything anyways. Both sides won't lose much sleep.

What;s your point, was getting benched at chelski.

jibers wrote:

Catracho wrote:Carvalho over it? smh yet he starts for a top 3 team.

imo Portugal won't win anything anyways. Both sides won't lose much sleep.

What;s your point, was getting benched at chelski.

He was benched mostly due to injury, he is still a great defender. Portugals loss.

Guys he's out because he didn't show up for training or made a call he'd be absent at least.

His own free will, IMO.

Wish somebody got the report on this but I heard he was disrespected by the staff

Carvalho is a greeat defender, and him and Pepe wouldve really shown great chemistry for Portugal

he was going to get dropped,thats why he got mad

According to the coach Ganso is right. I am disappointed in Carvalho if this is true, I expected more of him.

jibers wrote:

What;s your point, was getting benched at chelski.

Honestly? Listen to yourself.
You're not providing any insight nor input on the topic.

Stating that he was getting benched at chelsea almost two years ago surely has to do with his current standing in the Portugal National Team?
C'mon dude. It's all about the present.

He is starting for Real Madrid, hence why he is getting called up in the first place. Past has nothing to do with it.
If that were the case, Ronaldinho should still be on his own national team for starting at Barcelona almost like 6-7 years ago.

Don't say anything, unless you have actually something to bring forth.
It's annoying.

Paulo bento is gonna turn into another Carlos Quieroz, the reason Carvalho retired is because the coach doesn't respect him. The coach was planning on not playing Carvalho in the Cyprus match, and didn't even tell him.

People saying Carvalho is past his best? Well hes not in his prime, but saying hes past his best is a stupid comment, he has the experiance and leadership portugal lack. BIG LOSS for Portugal.

who cares.

neither carvalho or portugal need of each others services.

FilipeFerreira wrote:Paulo bento is gonna turn into another Carlos Quieroz, the reason Carvalho retired is because the coach doesn't respect him. The coach was planning on not playing Carvalho in the Cyprus match, and didn't even tell him.

People saying Carvalho is past his best? Well hes not in his prime, but saying hes past his best is a stupid comment, he has the experiance and leadership portugal lack. BIG LOSS for Portugal.

I heard this today on the news (I am in Portugal) and I dont get it.

Why should the coach tell Carvalho he isnt playing the Cyrus game? Why does Carvalho deserve more then what other players get?

The coach has the choose who should play and he went in another direction, I dont see why he has to tell Carvalho anything.

He sounds silly to be honest, saying this is the most disrespected he has ever felt. Its not a big deal to me.

It is however a blow to Portugal because while he is past his best, he is still a very useful defender with experience.

It sounds like a lingering issue, something that went on between both men for a while, and the incident of this week was the push that tipped the vase over.

Quitting the NT over a cyprus game is ridiculous, it's obviously a bit deeper.

Pretty shitty behaviour from Carvalho.

Pretty sure there is more to this than the media is reporting

Most likely we will never know the true story.

And Ricky cant tell us the entire story because?

do players air what happen within the group? they try to avoid that at best i think

Yeah, when they are still within the grop they keep quite.

But when players leave, they geenerally arent shy.

Ibra, one of the more outspoken guys, kept completely silent about Pep not talking to him for all that time, but the day he left, he culdnt stop talking.

Ricky has already put a light on the Portugal NT set up by saying they are disrespectful and treated him bad, so clearly he isnt afriad to talk.

More on this from Bento.


Portugal head coach Paulo Bento has lambasted Real Madrid defender Ricardo Carvalho for his decision to abandon the national team.

The 33-year-old left Portugal's training camp in Obidos on Wednesday after learning he would not start in Friday's Euro 2012 qualifier against Cyprus and did not fly with the rest of the squad to Nicosia, where the match will take place.

Later that day, Carvalho announced his retirement from international football, revealing he felt disrespected.

Bento has now questioned the defender's professionalism and stressed that every player must accept they may not be given the nod to start.

"We count on the players who want to help Portugal in the best possible way, regardless of whether they will get to play or not," he said at a press conference.

"Professionalism is measured in every place where you work, whether it is at clubs or in the national team, but I think there must be a different feeling when you represent the national team.

"He realised, from what he saw in training, he would not be a starter and made an escape plan. I believe he would not have abandoned the camp if he thought he would start."

The 42-year-old gave short shrift to questions about whether he would take Carvalho back, saying: "He deserted us and moved on, we repudiate turning one's back on the national team and the country.

"As long as I am in charge, Ricardo Carvalho will never play again, it does not make any sense. The door is closed for him."

Bento rejected suggestions that the departure of the veteran has taken its toll on the national team's spirit ahead of the game against Cyprus.

"What interests us, and we have done it well, is to prepare for Friday's game. The players showed in training that they want to continue defending their place in the group," he noted

"As long as I am in charge, Ricardo Carvalho will never play again, it does not make any sense. The door is closed for him."

Great news for Madrid