Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed he feels ‘betrayed’ and believes he is being forced out of Manchester United.
During an explosive interview with Piers Morgan on his show TalkTV, the football superstar also said he has no respect for United manager Erik ten Hag.
“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,” said Ronaldo.
“Yes, not only the coach but there’s another two or three guys there around the club (that want me to leave),” Ronaldo said.
“Yes, that I felt betrayed. Honestly, I shouldn’t say that (they want to get rid of me), I don’t know but I don’t care, people should listen to the truth.”
The 37-year-old has decided to speak out so those that support him knew exactly what was happening.
“I think the fans should know the truth,” said Ronaldo.
“I want the best for the club. This is why I come 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.”
Ronaldo returned to United from Juventus in August 2021 on a two-year deal, returning to the club where he won eight major trophies from 2003-2009. He was close to signing with rivals Manchester City before being persuaded by his former leader and legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson to return to Old Trafford.
“I followed my heart,” Ronaldo said, tapping his chest. “He (Ferguson) said to me, ‘It’s impossible for you to come to Manchester City’, and I said, ‘OK, Boss’.”
But Ronaldo admits the club is just not the same without his mentor.
“Since Sir Alex Ferguson left, I see no evolution with the club,” Ronaldo said.
“The progress was zero … nothing changed, surprisingly not only the pool, the jacuzzi even the gym, even some points of technology, the kitchen, the chefs.
“They’ve stopped in time, which has surprised me a lot.
“I thought I’d see different things… technology, infrastructure, but unfortunately, we see many things that I used to see when I was 21, 22, 23.
“That surprised me a lot.”
Ronaldo will now focus on the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, with his future beyond that still uncertain.
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