Manchester United have issued a statement after Cristiano Ronaldo's bombshell interview with Piers Morgan.
A club statement read: "Manchester United notes the media coverage regarding an interview by Cristiano Ronaldo. The club will consider its response after the full facts have been established.
"Our focus remains on preparing for the second half of the season and continuing the momentum, belief and togetherness being built among the players, manager, staff, and fans."
Ronaldo launched a dramatic attack on his employers and their new manager in a bombshell interview with Morgan. A clip of him discussing how he felt "betrayed" by the club was published late on Sunday evening and the full interview will be released this week.
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The preview has sparked outrage amongst many fans and proved a damning indictment of how the relationship between Ronaldo and United has fallen apart. It is understood that United only found out about the interview whilst travelling back from London after their last-gasp win over Fulham, from which Ronaldo was missing due to illness.
Ten Hag is set to hold crunch talks with United chiefs over how to deal with the Ronaldo issue. The Portuguese attacker, who will now head to Qatar for the World Cup, was fined by the club earlier this month after refusing to come on as a substitute and storming down the tunnel before full-time against Tottenham.
It has been reported that United's squad are ready to see the back of the 37-year-old, considering he has become a destabilising presence amid an upturn in the club's form. A source told The Telegraph there will "not be a tear shed" by many players when Ronaldo leaves with another adding they are determined not to allow "Ronaldo's tantrums to distract them".
Addressing his relationship with Ten Hag in the interview, Ronaldo said: "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. If you don't have respect for me, I'm never gonna have respect for you."
Speaking on talkSPORT this morning, hours after details were released, Piers Morgan revealed Ronaldo approached him to conduct the bombshell interview.
The former Good Morning Britain presenter said: "Well, Cristiano asked me to do it – simple as that. I didn't ask him, he asked me.
"It was all very recent. He's been thinking about this for a while. I think it's no secret that he's felt a build-up of deep frustration about what's been happening at United over the last year. He felt it was time to speak out.
"He knows it was going to be incendiary, he knows this is going to rattle some cages, but he also feels that he should be doing this. He knows people will criticise him, but he also knows that what he’s saying is true."
With United now considering their options, former Liverpool defender and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher suggested Ronaldo is attempting to get dismissed by the club.
“He wants to be sacked, I think that’s obvious,” Carragher told Sky Sports News. “He told the club in the summer he wanted to leave so I’m not sure where this disrespect comes from Erik ten Hag, I just don’t get this at all. I think he’s disrespecting Man United and Erik ten Hag.
“He wanted to leave in the summer, which is football, these things happen, There were no takers, because maybe of his wages, maybe at a price Manchester United wanted, and I think he knows that’s going to be the same in this next transfer window or maybe the following summer.
“I think he’s now basically trying to be sacked or allowed to leave on a free by the club because that’s the only way he’s going to get out.”
Former England international Jermaine Jenas believes Ronaldo can no longer be involved in the Manchester United team following the interview. Asked on Match of the Day 2 if Ronaldo was “done” at Old Trafford, Jenas said: “He has to be.
“Where I do half kind of (agree) with Ronaldo and what he’s saying, he feels like he’s been kind of used a little bit, he’s like the black sheep, the one to throw the stick at.
“I do at times feel like with Ten Hag it enables him to elevate his position at the football club when he treats Cristiano in a certain way, it enables (him) to get the dressing room to fall in line, but at the same time, Ronaldo does have to behave in line with how the rest of the team does.
“If I was a manager it makes sense for Ten Hag… I mean he can’t play him now, he can’t be involved in the team now.”
