Cristiano Ronaldo looks to have ignited a feud with Wayne Rooney after taking aim at his former team-mate in a sensational interview.
The duo formed an iconic partnership at Manchester United in Ronaldo's first spell at the club, helping them claim domestic and European honours before the Portuguese striker departed for Real Madrid. But it appears their relationship has soured somewhat in the 13 years since, with Ronaldo reacting to criticism from Rooney in brutally cut-throat fashion.
He told Piers Morgan on TalkTV: "I don't know why he [Rooney] 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."
Ronaldo has a reputation for snubbing individuals who no longer side with him, notably opting not to shake Gary Neville's hand after the pundit said it was best if he left the red side of Manchester. Ronaldo's latest comments on Rooney come after several remarks from his ex-strike partner over recent months, which have soured the relationship between the pair and led to tensions boiling over.
Early signs of an issue
It was in his role as a pundit that Rooney first seemed to hit a nerve with Ronaldo. The Evertonian was a guest on Monday Night Football and discussed a variety of topics, one of which was Ronaldo's return to Manchester.
How should Man Utd handle the Ronaldo situation? Have your say in the comments below.He joined a team, led by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, that had finished second but slipped down to sixth after his arrival with the manager losing his job. Rooney claimed that Ronaldo's move back to Old Trafford ultimately hadn't worked out, despite the fan fare, and felt the club should've targeted a different type of player.
"I think if you’re looking to the future of the club you have to go with younger, hungry players to do their best to lift Manchester United over these two to three years.” That prompted a response from Ronaldo on Instagram that simply said: "Too jealous".
Not better than Messi?
Rooney's relationship may well have begun nosediving when he claimed Lionel Messi, Ronaldo's long-time rival, was the better of the two. Messi and Ronaldo dominated football's individual accolades for over a decade but players who've played alongside the United man have often sided with him.
That wasn't the case with Rooney though, who suggests that whilst Ronaldo is clinical inside the 18-yard box, Messi is a more complete player.
"Despite my friendship with Cristiano, I'd go for Messi. Ronaldo is ruthless in the box, a killer. But Messi will torture you before he kills you," Rooney told The Sunday Times. "With Messi you just get the impression he is having more fun. Those two have completely changed the game in terms of goal scoring numbers, and I don't think they'll ever be matched."
No longer the player he was
Ronaldo has made a serious effort to fend off the effects of age with his commitment to his body and his fitness admired by figures across the game and beyond. The United man is now 37 and, whilst he's continued to flourish well into his 30s, Rooney claimed he wasn't at the level he once was.
"He's obviously not the player he was when he was 22 or 23, for instance. It's a tough one for him," he said recently. "Knowing him, it'll be very difficult for him to sit on the bench. I'm sure if he stays patient, his chance will come and it's then obviously [about] him taking those chances and trying to force his way back in."
Ronaldo has been forced to take on a squad role under Erik ten Hag, who was another one of the individuals to cop criticism in his tell-all interview. The forward, who was the team's top scorer last term, has only started a handful of games this term but made headlines for his refusal to come on against Tottenham.
Unwanted distraction
That snub made major headlines on a night that should've seen the United performance highlighted. It serves to prove how Ronaldo's attitude as a sub has become the main talking point during a period where Ten Hag is trying to reset the culture at Old Trafford.
Rooney, who himself looked to leave Manchester on several occasions, urged his former teammate to focus on the job in hand or risk becoming an issue people could do without.
He said on TalkSport last week: "I just think that the things he's [Ronaldo has] done from the start of the season really, it's not sensible for Manchester United. Cristiano should get his head down and work and be ready to play when the manager needs you. I think if he does that, he'll be an asset. If he doesn't, I think it'll become an unwanted distraction."
