‘I felt betrayed, Manchester United tried to force me out’: Cristiano Ronaldo | Football News
Cristiano Ronaldo blasted at Manchester United and current manager Erik ten Hag in an explosive interview with broadcaster Piers Morgan, stating he feels “betrayed” by the club. He also accused a few senior figures in the club, claiming they tried to force him out of Old Trafford.
The interview will broadcast later this week on Britain’s TalkTV but teasers for the same were released on Sunday after United’s match against Fulham, which they won 2-1. Ronaldo was not part of the squad for the second time in a row with the club stating that the forward had fallen ill. However, Ronaldo’s comments in the interview will surely leave fans wondering about his future in Manchester.
Ronaldo was also suspended by the manager earlier in the season after he refused to come in as a substitute during a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur. “I don’t have respect for him [Ten Hag] because he doesn’t show respect for me,” Ronaldo can be heard saying in a small clip of the interview. “If you don’t have respect for me, I’m never gonna have respect for you,” the Portuguese added.
Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford in 2021 after spending 12 years in Madrid and Turin, since leaving the club in 2009. However, in less than a year Ronaldo was linked with other clubs in the summer transfer window ahead of the 2022-23 season. The footballer shed more light on the matter and accused Ten Hag for forcing him out.
“Manchester United tried to force me out,” he said. “Not only the manager, but the other two or three guys who are around the club [at the senior executive level]. I felt betrayed. I don’t care, people should listen to the truth. Yes, I felt betrayed. I feel that some people didn’t want me here, not only this year but last season too.”
Ronaldo also slammed United for failing to move forward during the 12 years he spent with Real Madrid and then Juventus. He claimed to have “never heard of” Rangnick, who was appointed as United’s caretaker manager last season.
“I followed my heart,” Ronaldo said. “He [Ferguson] said to me, ‘It’s impossible for you to come to Manchester City,’ and I said, ‘OK, Boss.’
“The progress was zero. Since Sir Alex left, I saw no evolution in the club. Nothing had changed. He [Ferguson] 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,” said the Portuguese.
