Veteran Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo made fiery statements in a televised interview in which he attacked his club and manager Erik ten Hag and complained he was “betrayed” by what paved the way for his departure after the World Cup in Qatar.
Ronaldo returned to United for a second term at Old Trafford from Juventus in August 2021 on a two-year deal, having helped the team win eight major titles between 2003 and 2009.
The Portuguese star may already have played his last game for United after missing out on Sunday’s 2-1 win against Fulham in the English Premier League.
A few hours after the game, he said in an interview with reporter Piers Morgan on Talk TV on Sunday: I feel betrayed and that there are people who don’t want me here, not only this year but last year as well, not only from the coach but from two or three, the managers wanted me to leave.
Last month, Ronaldo declined to feature as a substitute against Tottenham Hotspur and entered the tunnel minutes before the end of the game after coming off the bench, and was not in the squad that faced Chelsea the following Saturday.
And about his relationship with coach Ten Ha, Ronaldo said: I don’t respect him because he didn’t respect me.
The player, who will lead Portugal to the World Cup next week, said he found “no sympathy” and the club questioned him during his daughter’s illness last July, adding he was unable to join the squad in pre-season because he wanted to be with her.
The former Real Madrid top scorer has complained “United have made no progress” since manager Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, as Ronaldo played under Sir Sir in his first spell.
He explained: Zero development since Sir Alex’s departure, I haven’t found any progress at the club and nothing has changed. Ferguson knows better than anyone that the club is not in the position it deserves. He knows it and everyone else knows it too, anyone who doesn’t see him doesn’t even want to see him, he is blind.
He also criticized the club’s decision last season to replace former teammate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with Ralph Rangnick.
Rangnick has left his position as director of sport and development at Lokomotiv Moscow to move to Manchester.
Ronaldo said: “After the club sacked Ole, they brought in a sporting director, Ralph Rangnick, and nobody understood him. This person isn’t even a manager. A big club like Manchester United brings in a sporting director. This doesn’t only surprised me, but surprised the whole world.
And he continued: I think the fans know the truth, I want the best for the club, and that’s why I came to Manchester United, but there are some things inside that don’t help us reach the level of City, Liverpool or Arsenal now, in my opinion, a club of this size should be top.
