Cristiano Ronaldo claims Manchester United has “betrayed” him and is attempting to drive him out of the club.
In a 90-minute interview extract published on the Piers Morgan Uncensored Twitter feed, Portugal forward stated that head coach Erik ten Hag and others want him to leave Old Trafford.
When Morgan asked Ronaldo, 37, if United’s management was attempting to force him out of the club, Ronaldo responded, “Yes, not only the coach but also two or three guys surrounding the club.” I felt betrayed.”
Ronaldo replied, “I don’t care if senior club executives are attempting to get rid of me. People must pay attention to the truth.
Yes, I felt betrayed and like some people did not want me here, not just this year but also last year.
Last month, Ten Hag banned the attacker from first-team training and left him out of the match against Chelsea as punishment for refusing to come on against Tottenham and leaving the field before the match was over.
He returned to the lineup and scored his third goal of the season in a 3-0 Europa League victory over Sheriff. He featured in the ensuing Premier League games against West Ham and Aston Villa but was not included in the matchday squad for Sunday’s match against Fulham.
When Morgan inquired about United’s current manager, Ten Hag, Ronaldo stated, “I do not like him because he does not respect me. “I will never respect you if you do not respect me.”
Ronaldo was also “ferociously contemptuous” of former United teammate Wayne Rooney for the criticism he received for declining to play for United in a recent match against Tottenham.
According to reports, Ronaldo added, “I don’t know why he criticizes me so harshly… Probably because he has completed his career and I am still playing at a high level. I will not claim to be more attractive than him. Which is correct…”
In other excerpts of the interview broadcast by TalkTV, Ronaldo said United had not advanced as a club since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013.
Ronaldo stated, “I don’t know what’s happening, but ever since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club, there has been no evolution and no progress.”
“For instance, we have an interesting point about how Manchester United hired sports director Ralf Rangnick following the dismissal of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, which is something nobody understands.
This individual is in no way a coach. A larger club such as Manchester United employing a sports director stunned not only me but the entire globe.
“Nothing has altered. Surprisingly. Not only the pool, jacuzzi, and fitness center… Even certain aspects, the technology, the kitchen, and the chefs, who are wonderful people, are noteworthy.
“They stopped abruptly, which greatly startled me. I anticipated seeing new things…different, as previously indicated, technology and infrastructure. However, we notice many things that I observed when I was 20, 21, and 23. Consequently, I was rather shocked.
