What did Cristiano Ronaldo say about Manchester United?
Manchester United have released an official statement which confirmed that they have parted ways with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect.
The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford.
#MUFC
Ronaldo's explosive interview with Piers Morgan (via Piers Uncensored) ruffled quite a few feathers. As a result, the club was left with no choice but to terminate the Portuguese superstar's contract.
In his interview with the British journalist, the Portuguese legend said that he did not respect current Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag. He also had a go at the club's owners, The Glazers, and said that the Red Devils were stuck in the past.
Some of the most prominent things he said about Manchester United during the interview were:
“Piers, to be honest, when I signed for Manchester United, I thought everything was changed because it's 13 years. I was in Real Madrid nine years and three in Juventus. And when I arrived, I thought everything will be different, you know, the technology, the infrastructures, and everything. But I was surprised, in a bad way. Let's say in that way because I saw everything was the same.
“And Manchester it wasn't, in that moment that as you mentioned that Ole was sacked, Michael Carrick, he assumed the job for two games. Villareal, and Chelsea away. And everything was so fast, but surprised me a lot, [the] instability in the club.”
He also added:
“No, they stopped on a clock, in my opinion, which is something that surprised me.”
The iconic forward had some particularly strong words on his relationship with Ten Hag:
"Manchester was so bad the last five years that it should make, they should clean the house, let's say in that way. But the way they approach, the way the press make this so big, it's because… probably the communication wasn't the best.
"But I really understand in the beginning because I didn't do the pre-season. I don't start to play, but going more further than that, further than that. Other things happen that people they don't know. And I'm not hiding that the empathy with the coach is not good. I'm honest.”
He then sharpened his attack on Ten Hag:
“He don't respect the way I should deserve. But it is what it is. This is why probably, the game against Tottenham, I left.
“Don’t tell me that the top players, the guys who want everything, the key players will play three minutes. Come on, this is unacceptable after what they keep saying before, that they respect me, that they do this, they do that. For me it was not respect, this is why I take this decision I regret. I apologised to my teammates for the situation. I did a post, an Instagram, I regret to left from the stadium."
Ronaldo concluded his point by saying:
"I regret my teammates know what I felt, and I said to them, apologised, but in the same way, I’m not regret to take the decisions to not come on… The coach didn’t have respect for me. So this is why the relationship, it’s in that way. He keep saying in the press that he come to me, he like me, blah, blah, blah, but that it’s only for the press. 100 percent.
“If you don’t have respect for me, I'm never going to have respect for you."
"I love Manchester United" - Cristiano Ronaldo pens emotional farewell note to fans
After having his contract terminated, Cristiano Ronaldo thanked the fans with an emotional message (via United Zone):
"Following conversations with Manchester United, we have mutually agreed to end our contract early. I love Manchester United and I love the fans, that will never ever change. However, it feels like the right time for me to seek a new challenge."
Cristiano Ronaldo: “Following conversations with Manchester United we have mutually agreed to end our contract early. I love Manchester United and I love the fans, that will never ever change. However, it feels like the right time for me to seek a new challenge.” #MUFC
With Ronaldo now a free agent, it will be interesting to see where the Portuguese superstar's next destination will be. Of course, that will happen after his 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign ends.