In an incendiary interview with TalkTV, the 37-year-old captain of Portugal declared war on Manchester United.
Cristiano Ronaldo has stated that Manchester United’s owners, the Glazer family, do not care about the club and that senior executives doubted him when he told them he could not attend a preseason trip due to his daughter’s grave illness.
Ronaldo accused Manchester United of betraying him, claiming the club attempted to force him out and said he has no regard for manager Erik ten Hag in the first extracts from a 90-minute interview with Piers Morgan released by TalkTV.
The captain of Portugal insists he does not speak to the family, who have owned Manchester United since 2005, and that they do not have the club’s best interests in mind.
“The Glazers are indifferent to the club. Manchester is, as you know, a marketing club in professional sport,” he remarked.
“They will make money from marketing, but they don’t care about the sport, in my opinion.
“The fans are always correct. I believe that the fans should know the truth, that the players desire the best for the club. I desire success for the club. This is the reason I joined Manchester United.”
He stated that the club’s internal troubles prohibit it from reaching the highest level.
In one of the interview tapes, the 37-year-old said that two top officials at Old Trafford approached him with suspicion when he reported that his daughter Bella had bronchitis, only three months after her twin brother had passed away.
Ronaldo stated, “I spoke with the director and president of Manchester United, and they didn’t believe anything was wrong, which made me feel terrible.”
I will never, ever sacrifice my family’s health for a football. Never. Now or 10 years in the past or future, the fact that people question my remarks hurts me deeply.
“I struggle, especially Bella and Geo who spent a week in the hospital due to a major problem, and I missed the preseason tour as a result.
“I believe it was unfair of me to leave my family for preseason. This is why I did not attend.
In the interview, Ronaldo also criticized his former United teammates, Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville.
He stated that the two individuals who criticized the Portugal attacker in recent weeks were “not my friends.”
When asked about his old teammate’s remarks, Ronaldo responded, “You should ask him (Rooney) this question.” “But I have no idea why he criticizes me so harshly.
“Most likely, because he retired in his thirties. Thus, I continue to play at a high level. I indeed look better than him, but I’m not going to say so!”
The club issued the following statement on Monday afternoon: “Manchester United is aware of the media coverage surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo’s interview. The club will evaluate its response once the complete facts are established.
“Our focus remains on preparing for the second half of the season and maintaining the momentum, confidence, and camaraderie that have been established among the players, coach, staff, and fans.”
