Victor Lindelof has refused to answer any questions about Cristiano Ronaldo, with Sweden's press officer stepping in to stop the topic from progressing.
Ronaldo has launched a scathing attack on Manchester United and Erik ten Hag in a bombshell interview with Piers Morgan. The Portugal captain has claimed he has 'no respect' for Ten Hag and blasted the stagnation that has taken hold at the Red Devils.
But the interview has reportedly left his team-mates furious, with many now keen to see the 37-year-old leave Old Trafford. Lindelof has refused to give any hint towards his feelings on the situation though, as he prepares to feature for Sweden in a friendly against Mexico.
The defender was put up for a press conference by the Swedish national team. Inevitably, he was asked about Ronaldo, but refused to get involved in the turmoil surrounding the superstar.
“I do not know. I will not answer that question. You get to take the next question," Fotbollskanalen report him as saying when asked about Ronaldo. He was then asked if United had asked him to keep quiet, to which he said: “It’s my decision.”
A Swedish press officer then stepped in to stop the line of questioning about Ronaldo. They insisted that Lindelof would refuse to discuss the situation while he remains on international duty.
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“He doesn’t want to talk about this. It came up during a conversation we had. It’s something to do with his club and employer. It really has nothing to do with this context. He wants to talk about the national team," they said.
“My job is partly to create a good environment for people to be able to perform in. My job is to make sure that you can do a sensible job but also that the players can perform. This is something that can typically create a huge energy leak in many directions and edges.”
Ronaldo rounded on Ten Hag and senior executives at United as he slammed the way he had been treated. The full interview is set to be aired on Wednesday night, with the story likely to drag on throughout the World Cup.
"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," Ronaldo said.
"Honestly, I shouldn't say that... don't know... But listen I don't care, I'm always... People should listen to the truth. Yes, I feel betrayed and I feel that some people don't want me here, not only this year but last year, too.
"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 sport, it's, they don't really care, in my opinion.
"The fans, they're always right. I think the fans should know the truth, should know that the players want the best for the club. I want the best for the club. This is why I came to Manchester United."
