Soccer-Ronaldo Accuses Manchester United of Betrayal

Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United claims that the team has betrayed him and that he is being forced to leave, and he has no respect for manager Erik ten Hag. (Reuters)

In August 2021, Ronaldo signed a two-year contract to return to United from Juventus for a second stint at Old Trafford. He was going back to the team where he won eight major championships from 2003 to 2009.

Ronaldo was questioned about whether United’s hierarchy was trying to get rid of him in an interview with Piers Morgan for TalkTV that was made available on Sunday.

“Yes, there are a few more guys around the club besides the coach (Ten Hag). I felt betrayed,” he said.

“Yes, I feel betrayed, and I sensed last year as well that some people didn’t want me here.”

When Ronaldo walked down the tunnel with a few minutes left in the game after being left on the bench against Tottenham Hotspur last month, according to Ten Hag, he refused to be brought on as a substitute.

The following Saturday’s match against Chelsea did not feature him in the lineup.

The 37-year-old forward, who will captain Portugal at the World Cup in Qatar, said of Ten Hag: “He doesn’t treat me with respect, so I don’t respect him. I won’t ever have respect for you if you don’t have respect for me.”

When contacted by Reuters for comment, United did not respond right away. After the Tottenham game, Ten Hag said that Ronaldo remained “an important player in the squad”.

In July, when his daughter was taken to the hospital, Ronaldo claimed Manchester United did not support him. When he did not show up on time for preseason practice, he claimed the club mistrusted him and lacked compassion.

“I think the fans should know the truth,” he said.

“I wish the club nothing but success. I came to Manchester United for this reason.

“But there are some things inside of you that prevent us from competing with City, Liverpool, and even now, Arsenal at the highest level… a club with this dimension should be top of the tree in my opinion and they are not, unfortunately.”

During Ronaldo’s first stint, former United manager Alex Ferguson, who retired in 2013, was in charge. The Portuguese man claimed that Ferguson shared his opinion of the team.

“Since Sir Alex Ferguson left, there has been no advancement at all in the club. Nothing had changed,” Ronaldo said.

“He is the best person to know that the club is not headed in the right direction.

“Everyone is aware, including him. those who fail to notice that… it’s because they don’t want to see, they are blind.”

Ronaldo was also critical of the club’s choice to hire Ralf Rangnick as manager last season in place of Ronaldo’s former teammate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

In order to take the helm at Old Trafford, Rangnick resigned from his position as director of sport and development at the Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow.

“After the club sacked Ole, they bring sporting director Ralf Rangnick, which is something nobody understands,” Ronaldo said.

“The man in question isn’t even a coach. The world, including myself, was shocked that a major club like Manchester United would hire a sporting director.”

Reference: https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2022/11/14/soccer-ronaldo-accuses-manchester-united-of-betrayal