Football: Man United await facts before responding to Ronaldo situation

MANCHESTER – Cristiano Ronaldo’s Manchester United teammates are reportedly “extremely disappointed with the manner and timing” of his bombshell interview where he says that the club have betrayed him and that he is being forced out, adding he has no respect for manager Erik ten Hag.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has been a peripheral figure for United

since ten Hag took charge in May, scoring just three times in 16 matches this season.

Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford

from Juventus for a second spell in August 2021 on a two-year deal, rejoining the club where he won eight major trophies from 2003 to 2009.

In an interview with Piers Morgan for TalkTV, released on Sunday, he was asked whether United’s hierarchy were trying to push him out of the club.

“Yes, not only the coach (ten Hag), but another two or three guys around the club. I felt betrayed,” he said.

“Yes I feel betrayed, and I felt some people don’t want me here, not just this year, but last year, too.”

United responded, saying they would address Ronaldo’s comments only after establishing the full facts.

“The club will consider its response after the full facts have been established,” United said in a statement on Monday.

“Our focus remains on preparing for the second half of the season and continuing the momentum, belief and togetherness being built among the players, manager, staff and fans.”

In October, ten Hag said Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute against Tottenham Hotspur, when the forward walked down the tunnel with a few minutes of the match remaining.

He was fined two weeks’ wages or around £1 million (S$1.6 million), with Metro reporting he is set for a similar sanction.

He was then not part of the squad that faced Chelsea the following Saturday. He had returned to the side in recent weeks and even captained the Red Devils in a 3-1 loss at Aston Villa on Nov 6.

However, the 37-year-old was absent due to “illness” in Sunday’s 2-1 win over Fulham in United’s last match before a six-week break for the World Cup.

The forward, who will captain Portugal at the World Cup in Qatar, said of his Dutch boss: “I don’t have respect for him because he doesn’t show respect for me. If you don’t respect me, I’m never gonna have respect for you.”

United did not immediately respond when contacted by Reuters for comment. After the Tottenham game, ten Hag said that Ronaldo remained “an important player in the squad”.

However, Sky Sports on Monday reported that the Dutchman and his players are “extremely disappointed with the manner and timing of Ronaldo’s interview”, having only found out about it while preparing to fly back after the Fulham game.

It added that the club “do not understand why he has said what he has said” and “are likely to consider all their options now regarding the player”.

Morgan told talkSPORT that the interview and its timing were instigated by the Portuguese. He said: “I didn’t ask him, he asked me... He felt it was time to speak out.

“He knows it was going to be incendiary, he knows this is going to rattle some cages, but he also feels that he should be doing this. He knows people will criticise him, but he also knows that what he’s saying is true. Sometimes the truth hurts...

“I think part of the timing was the World Cup is obviously about to start, he’s with Portugal, a good team, he can have a good World Cup. It gives him a month away from United.”

ESPN reported in late October that United were prepared to let Ronaldo leave on a free transfer in the summer, after he made it known that he wanted an exit.

A club source told them on Monday: “There is a view that we have kept him hostage, told him he has to stay, but nothing could be further from the truth.”

His boyhood club Sporting Lisbon look early favourites to be his next destination, after their coach Ruben Amorim was quoted as saying by Portuguese daily O Jogo: “Everyone at Sporting likes him, there’s not much to say. He himself says he wants to do things in peace to follow his future. He will decide his future.”

Ronaldo also accused United of not supporting him when his daughter was taken to hospital in July. He said the club doubted him and showed a lack of empathy when he did not arrive on time for pre-season training.

“I think the fans should know the truth,” he said. “I want the best for the club. This is why I came to Manchester United.

“But you have some things inside that don’t help (us) reach the top level as City, Liverpool and even now Arsenal... a club with this dimension should be top of the tree in my opinion and they are not, unfortunately.”

His first spell at United had been a glorious one under the tutelage of Alex Ferguson, winning three Premier League titles, the Champions League and the first of his Ballon d’Or crowns as the best player in the world.

The Portuguese said his view of the club is shared by Ferguson, who retired in 2013.

“The progress was zero since Sir Alex (Ferguson) left, I saw no evolution in the club. Nothing had changed,” Ronaldo said.

“He knows better than anybody that the club is not on the path they deserve to be.

“He knows. Everyone knows. The people who don’t see that… it’s because they don’t want to see, they are blind.”

Ronaldo was also critical of the club’s decision last season to replace manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, a former teammate of the Portuguese, with Ralf Rangnick.

Rangnick had left his role as head of sport and development at Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow to take over at Old Trafford.

Said Ronaldo: “After the club sacked Ole, they bring sporting director Ralf Rangnick, which is something nobody understands.” This guy, he is not even a coach. A big club like Manchester United brings a sporting director surprised not only me but all the world.”

Despite his 24 goals in all competitions last season, United endured a terrible campaign as they finished sixth in the Premier League and failed to qualify for the Champions League.

United are fifth in the Premier League, 11 points behind leaders Arsenal.

They have won 70 per cent of their Premier League matches this season when Ronaldo has been left out of the starting line-up, compared to 20 per cent when he starts. Similarly, on average, they score more (1.8 goals to 0.5 goals), concede fewer (1.3 goals to 1.8 goals) and run further (107.5km to 103km) when he does not start.

Former Manchester United striker Teddy Sheringham told talkSPORT: “There’s absolutely no chance that he could play for Manchester United again... He’s past his best, and you have to understand that you’re going to be used sparingly at that age. You cannot play every game; (but) he wants to be the main man.” REUTERS, AFP