Cristiano Ronaldo has hit back at Wayne Rooney over recent criticism in an extraordinary outburst from the Manchester United superstar.
The Portuguese, who will play for Portugal at the World Cup next week, admitted he felt “betrayed” by his club after a turbulent season under Erik ten Hag.
The 38-year-old added he had “no respect” for the Dutch tactician but then took aim at former teammate Rooney, after being condemned for his decision to refuse to come on against Tottenham.
Writing in The Sun newspaper, Piers Morgan revealed Ronaldo said: “I don’t know why he criticises me so badly…probably because he finished his career and I’m still playing at a high level. I’m not going to say that I’m looking better than him. Which is true…”
In excerpts of a 90-minute interview with Piers Morgan published on Sunday night, following Manchester United’s last game for six weeks, Ronaldo claimed Ten Hag tried to force him to leave this summer and hit out at the club’s lack of progress since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Ronaldo was subject of speculation over whether he would be leaving Old Trafford during the most recent transfer window after missing United’s pre-season tour to Thailand and Australia because of personal reasons.
Ronaldo was banished from the first-team squad for one match by Ten Hag, but the Portugal star later returned to the squad, although he has played no part in their two matches before the World Cup. United said he was unavailable due to illness.
However the timing of Ronaldo’s extraordinary attack suggests the 37-year-old believes he has played his last game for the club, with United’s hierarchy previously supporting Ten Hag’s decision to drop Ronaldo following his previous act of ill-discipline.
Ten Hag said Ronaldo’s actions had clashed with the “standards and values” he wanted his players to follow, while the Dutchman warned that there would be “consequences” if the behaviour was repeated.
But when asked by Morgan about his relationship with Ten Hag, who was appointed this summer from Ajax, Ronaldo was unrelenting with his answer. “I don’t have respect for him because he doesn’t show respect for me,” he said. “If you don’t have respect for me, I’m never gonna have respect for you.”
Then, when asked by Morgan whether United and Ten Hag had tried to make him leave this summer, Ronaldo said: “Yes, not only the coach but the other two or three guys – they’re around the club.” When pressed further, Ronaldo said: “Yes, I feel betrayed. And I felt that some people, they don’t want me here. Not only this year, but last year too.”
Ronaldo returned to Manchester United last summer, 11 years after leaving the club to sign for Real Madrid as the world’s most expensive player, but the club suffered their worst ever Premier League season and failed to qualify for the Champions League.
United had sacked manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer mid-season, replacing Ronaldo’s former teammate with interim coach Ralf Rangnick. In a further part of the interview, Ronaldo was highly critical of how the club is run and how little things had changed at Old Trafford since his first spell at the club.
Ronaldo told Morgan: “I don’t know what’s going on but since Sir Alex Ferguson left I saw no evolution in the club, the progress was zero. For example we have an interesting point that, how the club as Manchester United after [they] sack Ole, they buy – they bring, sports director Ralf Rangnick, which is something that nobody understands. This guy is not even a coach. A bigger club like Manchester United brings [a] sports director – surprised not only me but all the world, you know.
“Nothing changed. Surprisingly. Not only the pool, the jacuzzi, even the gym… Even some points, the technology, the kitchen, the chefs, which is, I appreciate, lovely persons. They stopped in a time, which surprised me a lot. I thought I will see different things… different, as I mentioned before, technology, infrastructure. But unfortunately, we see many things that I used to see, when I was 20, 21, 23. So, it surprised me a lot.”
Back in August, Ronaldo hit out at “lies” that were being reported in the media about his future and vowed to tell “the truth” in an interview. Ronaldo’s behaviour has also been criticised by former United teammate and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville, who was blanked by the Portuguese at a recent Manchester United match. According to Rio Ferdinand, another former member of the United dressing room, Ronaldo’s relationship with Neville is now “gone” following his return to the club.
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