Cristiano Ronaldo has said Manchester United have betrayed him and that he is being forced out while stating he has no respect for manager Erik ten Hag.
In August 2021, Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford from Juventus for a second spell on a two-year deal where he won eight major trophies during his first spell from 2003-2009.
Ronaldo in an interview with controversial English journalist Piers Morgan was asked whether United’s hierarchy was 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.”
Ten Hag had said Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute against Tottenham Hotspur last month when the 37-year-old walked down the tunnel with a few minutes of the match remaining after being left on the bench.
He was later sanctioned by not being part of the squad that faced Chelsea the following Saturday.
The Portuguese forward, who will captain Portugal at the World Cup in Qatar, said of Ten Hag: “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.”
According to Ronaldo, Manchester United did not support 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.
Speaking on the state of the club since he last left in 2009 under former United manager Alex Ferguson, the Portuguese said his view of the club is shared by Ferguson.
“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 also criticised the club’s decision to replace manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with Ralf Rangnick last season.
Rangnick had left his role as head of sport and development at Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow to take over at Old Trafford.
“After the club sacked Ole, they bring sporting director Ralf Rangnick, which is something nobody understands,” Ronaldo said.
“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.”
Alleluia is the Assistant Editor and Content Writer at LagosPost.ng. She is a prolific writer and editor, she has written features and news stories on Lifestyle, Sports, Business, Politics and B2B marketing. She is also an event coordinator, host and social media content creator.
