The first half of Cristiano Ronaldo’s controversial 90-minute interview with Piers Morgan is set to air on Talk TV at 8pm on Wednesday.
Since Sunday, a host of clips from the sit-down have been released, sending shockwaves through the Manchester United fan base and the club itself. The superstar has levelled a number of accusations at the Reds, to which the club has stated it will not comment further until “the full facts have been established”.
Ronaldo has also opened up about the tragic passing of his son, Angel, in childbirth and the illness of his twin sister, Bella. He also commented on criticism he has received from Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney while noting the absence of evolution at the club since Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure.
READ MORE: Manchester United think Cristiano Ronaldo criticism of two issues is unfair
Here is everything we know Ronaldo has said in the interview.
Why he is doing the interview
“Because I think it’s the time to say something”
Feeling pushed out and betrayed
"Yes. Not only the coach, but two or three other guys around the club. Yes. I felt betrayed. Honestly, I shouldn't say that [they are forcing him out], I don't know. But I don't care, people should listen.
"I feel betrayed and I felt that some people didn't want me here, not only this year but last year too."
Erik ten Hag
“I don’t have respect for him because he doesn’t show respect for me. If you don’t have respect for me, I’m never gonna have respect for you.”
Ralf Rangnick
"After sacking Ole, they bring sport director Ralf Rangnick in. It's something nobody understood.
"It surprised me. If you’re not even a coach, how are you going to be the boss of Manchester United? I’d never even heard of him."
Sir Alex, his return to Old Trafford and United’s lack of evolution
“I followed my heart. He [Sir Alex] said to me, ‘It’s impossible for you to come to Manchester City’, and I said, ‘OK, Boss’.”
"I love Manchester United, I love the fans, they’re always on my side. But if they [United] want to do it [succeed] different… they have to change many, many things.
"He [Sir Alex] 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.
"As Picasso said, you have to destroy it to rebuild it and if they start with me, for me, it’s not a problem.
"I want the best for the club this is why I come into Manchester United, this is why I love this club. But you have some things inside the club that don't help Manchester reach the top level as City, Liverpool and even now Arsenal for example.
"Which is complicated, it's difficult, it's hard. In my opinion, it will be hard for Manchester to be top of the game next two, three years."
The Glazers
"The owners of the club, the Glazers, they don't care about the club. I mean professional sport as you know Manchester is a marketing club, they will get money from the marketing, the sports they don't really care, in my opinion."
"Never, no [spoken to them since return]. They give all the power to the president, sport directive. The fans are always right. The fans should know the truth, should know the players want the best for the club."
His daughter’s illness over the summer
"I spoke with the director and president of Manchester United and they kind of didn't believe that something was going wrong, which made me feel bad.
“They believed it but in the same way... I'm never, ever going to change the health of my family for football. Never. Now or 10 years behind or forwards and it's something that really hurt me because they doubt my words that I struggle.
"Especially Bella [Ronaldo's daughter] and Gio [Ronaldo's partner] - we had one week in hospital because Bella had a big problem. And I didn't go to the pre-season because of that.
"Because I didn't want to leave my family if something happened during pre-season because I think it was not fair to leave my family for preseason. This is why I didn't go."
The death of his son
"Piers, it was probably the worst moment that I passed through in my life since my father died. When you have a kid, you expect that everything will be normal and when you have that problem it's hard.
"As a human being as I am, me and Georgina, we had quite difficult moments, because we don't understand why it happened to us. It was difficult, to be honest. It was very, very difficult to understand what's going on in that period of our lives.
"As you know, the football carries on, so fast, so many competitions, the football doesn't stop. Passing through that moment, was probably the most difficult moment that I've had in my life, me and my family, especially Gio, that was tough.
"Gio arrived home and the kids start to say where’s the other baby, where’s the other baby. The other ones in the beginning, around the table, the kids start to say 'Mum where is the other baby.’
"And after one week I say let’s be up front and let’s be honest with the kids, let’s say that, Angel - which is his name - he go to the Heaven. The kids understand, we had shouts around the table and they say 'Daddy I did this for Ángel' and they point to the sky.
"Which I like the most because he’s part of their lives. I am not going to lie to my kids, I say the truth, which was a difficult process.
“His ashes are with me, like my Daddy, they are here in the house. It is something that I want to hold for the rest of my life and not throw to the ocean or to the sea.
"I keep with me. They are next to my dad. I have a small church downstairs, a chapel, and I keep my daddy and my son there.”
“Yes I do [talk to Angel and his father]…all the time and they are on my side. You know they help me to be a better man, to be a better person, to be a better father.
“My family is everything to me. Even more so after what we have been through this year.”
Liverpool fans applauding in the seventh minute vs United in tribute to son in April
“I never expected to see that.”
United fans
"They are the most important things in football. You play for them. They are always on my side.
"I feel that every time when I go out, when I walk in the streets, the fans come up to me and they appreciate what I do for football.
“The fans for me are everything. This is why I give this interview, because I think it’s the right time to speak my mind.”
Roy Keane and Rio Ferdinand's support
"It means a lot because they… I was in the dressing room with them. They are part of my journey in football as well.
"As I mentioned many times, Roy Keane for me was my best captain ever. Rio Ferdinand helped me a lot. He was my neighbour, I was his neighbour. So very, very good guys.
"Not just because they speak good about me, but they were there in the dressing room. They are football players. They know how players think and behave."
Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney criticism
"To listen as ex-colleagues or teammates criticise you, when they only see one point of view. It's easy.
"It's easy to criticise, I don't know if you have a job in television that they must criticise to be more famous. I really don't understand it.
"It's hard when you see people who was in the dressing room with you criticising that way. I think they take advantage of that because they are not stupid. I'm the No 1 followed guy in the world. It's not by coincidence.'
"Me too [surprised about this]. Piers, I don't understand. You should ask the questions to him [Rooney]. I don't know. I don't know why he criticised me so badly.
"Probably [jealously]. Probably - because he finished his career in his 30s. I'm still playing at a high level; I'm not going to say that I'm looking better than him, which is true.
"It's hard to listen to that sort of criticism and negativity from people who play with you, for example Gary Neville as well.
"People can have their own opinion but they don't know what is going inside the training ground at Carrington - or even my life.
"They shouldn't listen to one point of view - they should listen to my point of view as well, because it's easy to criticise [when] you don't know the whole story.
"They are not my friends, they are colleagues. We play together, they're not coming, we're not ever having dinner together."
READ NEXT:
