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Ronaldo slams Erik ten Hag and finally reveals why he missed Manchester United pre-season.
Cristiano Ronaldo may have permanently harmed his relationship with Manchester United after giving a fiery interview in which he slammed the club, Erik ten Hag and revealed why he missed the Red Devils’ pre-season game.
The 37-year-old was fired by his manager, forced to train with the young squad, and fined two weeks’ wages after storming down the tunnel at the end of the game against Tottenham last month instead of making a late substitution.
After Ten Hag put an end to the situation, Ronaldo seemed to have been reintegrated back into the team, but the Portuguese superstar has now reopened the controversy by criticizing both the Dutch coach and the club.
Asked about Ten Hag, Ronaldo told Piers Morgan Uncensored on Sunday night: ‘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.’
Asked if he felt Ten Hag had tried to force him out, he replied: ‘Yes, not only the coach but another two or three guys that are around the club [at senior executive level]. I felt betrayed.’
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Probed on whether he feels they are actively trying to get rid of him, he continued: ‘Honestly, I shouldn’t say that, I don’t know, but I don’t care, always people should listen to the truth. Yes, I feel betrayed.
‘And I felt that some people they don’t want me here. Not only this year but last year too.’
Ronaldo also revealed in the interview that his three-month-old daughter was hospitalised in July, which meant he could not return for pre-season training with United.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner claims that when he told United that he had to stay in Portugal, they questioned his justification, which made him feel “hurt” and “terrible.” As a result, he missed the club’s trip to Thailand and Australia.
In addition, Ronaldo criticized the club’s current situation, feeling that it has fallen behind league leaders Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool. He claimed he had been labelled the “black sheep” and was responsible for all the club’s problems.
He continued: ‘I think the fans should know the truth. I want the best for the club. This is why I came to Manchester United.
‘But you have some things inside that don’t help [us] reach the top level as City, Liverpool and even now Arsenal… a club with this dimension should be top of the tree in my opinion and they are not unfortunately.’
He added: ‘As Picasso said, you have to destroy it to rebuild it and if they start with me, for me, it’s not a problem. I love Manchester United, I love the fans, they’re always on my side. But if they want to do it different… they have to change many, many things.’