The second half of Cristiano Ronaldo’s bombshell interview with Piers Morgan has aired, with the Manchester United star saying he is not sure whether he will remain at the club following the World Cup.
In the first half of the interview Ronaldo slammed manager Erik ten Hag, senior officials at the club, as well as the owners – leading many to claim his time at Old Trafford will end in January’s transfer window. The club has subsequently sought legal advice over the unauthorised interview, and taken down a giant Ronaldo banner from the stadium.
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Now the Portuguese star says he is unsure whether he will be at Manchester United come January 1.
“It’s difficult to tell right now, because my mood is right now on the World Cup,” he said.
“When I arrived at Manchester United, I always [wanted to] be available to help the team do the good things, to put in the right spots, to compete with the best teams.
“But it’s hard when they cut your legs and they don’t like you to shine and they don’t listen to your advice.
“I think I have words to advise to the club because the trophies are one individual and collective. I think I can help a lot, but when the infrastructure is not good …”
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He continued his assault on ten Hag, having previously accused the manager of a lack of respect.
“I understand that in a new job [you try to make an impression.] Manchester was so bad in the last five years that they should clean the house, let’s say it in that way.
“But the way they approach, the way the press make this so big. I really understand in the beginning because I didn’t do the pre-season, I don’t start to play, but going more further than that.
“Other things happen that people, they don’t know. And I’m not hiding that the empathy with the coach is not good. I’m honest.”
He added: “He don’t respect [me] the way I deserve. But it is what it is. This is why probably, the game against Tottenham, I left.”
Ronaldo was highly criticised for refusing to come on as a late substitute against Tottenham, marching down the tunnel and leaving the stadium before full-time.
He said he regretted the decision, but felt ‘provoked’ by ten Hag’s attempt to play him for just three minutes.
“I will be honest with you, it’s something that I regret, leaving the stadium.
“It’s difficult to tell you 100 per cent but let’s say I regret. But in the same way I felt provoked by the coach. A coach to put me in (for) three minutes in a game.
“Sorry, I’m not that kind of player. I know what I can give to the team.”
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He added: “Don’t tell me that the top players, the guys who want everything, the key players will play three minutes. Come on, this is unacceptable.
“After what they keep saying before, that they respect me. For me it was not respect, this is why I take this decision I regret.
“I apologised to my teammates for the situation, I did a post – I regret leaving the stadium. I regret my teammates know what I felt, and I apologised.
“The coach didn’t have respect for me. So this is why the relationship, it’s in that way. He keeps saying in the press that he come to me, he like me, blah, blah, blah. But that’s only for the press. One hundred per cent.
“If you don’t have respect for me, I’m never going to have respect for you.”
Ronaldo had also left the stadium before full-time in a match against Spanish side Rayo Vallecano last season, leading to ten Hag publicly criticising the striker.
But Ronaldo now says many of his teammates did the same on multiple occasions.
He said: “Me and eight players [left], but they mentioned only my name. Last year, many players did the same. In that game, eight players do the same but they only speak about the black sheep, which is me.
“I completely understand, okay, it’s done, I apologise to the coach and for me, the chapter was closed.”
Ronaldo had sought to leave United prior to this season, something the club was reportedly agreeable to – but sought a transfer fee for the player.
However, it was widely reported that no elite European clubs were seriously interested in the player, given his age, sky-high wages, and potentially disruptive influence in the dressing room.
Ronaldo took aim at those reports, saying there were offers from other clubs.
“It’s true, yes it’s true … but what the press keep saying, the garbage, is that nobody wants me, which is completely wrong.
“I was happy here [at Manchester United] to be honest – I was motivated to do a great season here. But they [the press] continue to repeat that nobody wants Cristiano.
“How they don’t want a player who scored 32 goals last year, [including] national team?”
