LAST UPDATE | 14 Nov 2022
CRISTIANO RONALDO CLAIMS he has been “betrayed” by people at Manchester United and believes they are trying to force him out of the club.
The Portugal star said that head coach Erik ten Hag and others want him out of Old Trafford, in excerpts of a 90-minute interview with Piers Morgan Uncensored, which will be broadcast next week on TalkTV.
When asked if United’s hierarchy were trying to force him out of the club, Ronaldo said: “Yes, not only the coach, but another two or three guys around the club. I felt betrayed.”
"I feel betrayed."
— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) November 13, 2022
EXCLUSIVE: Cristiano Ronaldo tells Piers Morgan he feels like he's being forced out of Manchester United in an explosive interview.
90 Minutes with Ronaldo. Wednesday and Thursday at 8pm on TalkTV.@cristiano | @piersmorgan | @TalkTV | #PMU pic.twitter.com/nqp4mcXHB0
When quizzed again if senior club executives were trying to oust him, the 37-year-old said: “I don’t care. People should listen to the truth.
“Yes, I felt betrayed and I felt like some people don’t want me here, not only this year but last year too.”
The PA news agency has contacted United for comment.
Ronaldo said he did not respect boss Ten Hag, admitting:
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.
Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute in last month’s win over Tottenham, leading to him being banished from the squad for the subsequent trip to Chelsea, although he then returned to the fold.
Ronaldo, who was heavily linked with a move away from Old Trafford in the summer, also hit out at former United team-mate Wayne Rooney over criticism the former had received for refusing to come on against Spurs.
Writing in The Sun newspaper, Morgan revealed Ronaldo said: “I don’t know why he 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 also claimed United had not progressed as a club since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013.
Ronaldo, who played under Ferguson for six years during his first spell at United before joining Real Madrid in 2009, said: “I don’t know what is going on, but since Sir Alex Ferguson left I saw no evolution in the club, the progress was zero.
“For example, we have an interesting point that how the club as Manchester United, after (they) sack Ole (Gunnar Solskjaer), they buy – they bring (in), sports director Ralf Rangnick, which is something that nobody understands.
“This guy is not even a coach. A bigger club like Manchester United brings (a) sports director – surprised not only me but all the world, you know.
“Nothing changed. Surprisingly. Not only the pool, the jacuzzi, even the gym…Even some points, the technology, the kitchen, the chefs, which is, I appreciate, lovely persons.
“They stopped in a time, which surprised me a lot. I thought I will see different things…different, as I mentioned before, technology, infrastructure.
“But unfortunately, we see many things that I used to see when I was 20, 21, 23. So, it surprised me a lot.”
Ronaldo is one of the favourite Utd players but no player or person is bigger than the club or team. Just rip up the contract and let him go where ever he want to go.
@Cormac Flanagan: why would they do that, he still sells jeyseys
@Cormac Flanagan: i can think of a few players and managers bigger than your badly run club
@Michael Legris: uniteds percentage of Jersey sales wouldn’t come close to his wages thats not how it actually works
@Brianto: if you thínk any player or manager is bigger than Manchester utd you are clearly deluded, or obviously on the wind up..
@Brianto: go on then, name anyone bigger than Manchester United?
@Brian Dunne: Just to add to this conversation, what about the role the smugggest man on Earth (well 2nd smugggest after Trump), Piers Morgan played in stirring the pot in all of this? A man who writes for the Sun tabloid.
@Cormac Flanagan: your wrong Ronaldo is bigger than utd,he told the truth, whats wrong with that.
FFS Piers Morgan – Propoganda expert – may as well be speaking for Putin
@Reggie: Exactly, instead he writes for the most despicable tabloid newspaper on the planet, the Sun. As a Man Utd fan I wouldn’t wipe my behind with that rag over the lies they told about Liverpool fans at Hillsborough.
@Frank Cauldhame: Unfortunately Frank I’ve only two tumbs to raise for you. Fair play……..YNWA.
@Denis Ryan: cheers Dave :-)
@Frank Cauldhame: Denis
Good luck Ronaldo possibly the greatest of all time? tarnishing your legacy with utd, but as a great man once said “no player is bigger than the club” best for both sides to part ways.. Toxic.
Well that’s gone pear shaped! All the best ronnie, was some great moments last season. But he’s deteriorated massively this season. Nobody bigger than the club. Ten hag be happy to get rid I’d imagine
@Brian Dunne: he’s ruined everything he has ever done now in that jersey! Terminate immediately
@andrew hennessy: i think that’s a bit of a stretch. I don’t think many, if any, Man Utd supporters are going to feel his escapades and successes in the 00s have been ruined. There is only two issues with this: The manner, and his Ten Haag petulance is without sense or defense. But I think its been incredibly hypocritical of Man Utd fans to criticise him today beyond that. He spoke about low standards, Rangnick was useless, members of the staff never wanted him, the executive level of the club, the facilities being draconian, etc. Aren’t these the exact things that their supporters cry about here every week? (Note: I already said the Ten Haag stuff and the manner he came out are unacceptable, and untenable).
His Rooney comment was absolute crass.
@Cathal Carr: i welcome anything he said about the issues you’ve talked about. However to say he has no respect for the manager after turning up late for pre season, touting himself to every club in europe, refusing to come off the bench, leaving the ground early etc is all a bit much to take.
@Brian Dunne: true. (Although I think its poor of the media and fans to keep going on about pre-season. His family stressed throughout that his daughter was ill, and his Mrs was dealing with postpartum issues and grief over their son’s death).
@Cathal Carr: well Ronaldo got Rooney sent off in the World Cup in 2006 when they were ManU teammates and that just never sat right with me and although Rooney managed to put the incident behind him it just says something about Ronaldo’s character.
@Cathal Carr: everyone knows the club is in a mess, that’s not news at all? ETH was well within his rights to do what he did, Spurs was just embarrassing so it was. He can’t accept he’s 38 and the game is moving on. The Rooney comments are laughable, hes like a 12 year old so he is with comments like that
@Cathal Carr: they are things that are well publicised and every fan can agree with
But everyone should see he isn’t on a crusade to improve the club by calling out deficiencies in club stricture and investment but using these issues to benefit himself and his position… Attack on the manager was pre planned and calculated to force his way out of the club because he is not being respected. Respected in his view equals first choice position which is not in anyway warranted… A dying star blinded by his ego
Some home truths spoken, clarifying what everyone knows for a longtime, the Glazers are bad eggs. Club is in a poor state, but under ETH and Murtough, we have seen some positive moves to finally push this club back into the right lane. As good as he is, Ronaldo was always about him so nothing shocking from that interview. The club needs to just cut ties asap, nobody will ever be bigger than the club, progress being made and ETH needs to be backed 100%!
@Now or Never: Everyone saying ” no one bigger than the Club” and “cut ties”..
Can ye not see the Elephant in the room…Ferguson !!!! Now there’s ties that should have been cut long ago,hanging around like a bad smell and contributing to the decline.
@Gerry Campbell: nothing got to do with him right now? Deflecting away from the issue, which is this absolute selfish “professional” who has zero respect for his manager and team-mates, Ferguson no angel in it all down through the years, naive if anyone ignored this aspect!
@Gerry Campbell: what has ferguson got to do with the glazers tight-fistedness
@A$AP ETH: Remind me again how much the tight-fisted Glazers have spent on players over the last ten years.
@Denis Ryan:eh they didn’t spend it as it wasn’t their money, it was the clubs..Do keep up
@A$AP ETH: It doesn’t matter how much money is thrown at that club as long as the camera switches to him in the directors box ,grimacing every time something goes wrong,no manager can work properly with him looking over his shoulder.They made the same mistake with Busby.
@Pauly Kel: United one of the biggest spenders in world football on transfers in the last 10 years. What do you want, for them to spend double every other club…
@MT Carruso: my point is the money spent is from the clubs revenue, not one penny came out of the glazers pockets unlike other clubs that have owners willing to spend their own cash. What I’d want is decent owners to clear the clubs debt stop taking out dividends every quarter of the year and invest in the club with THEIR own money..
@Denis Ryan: of their own money? Not one single penny
@Pauly Kel: What do you mean it wasn’t their money. They own the club, it’s all theirs.
@MT Carruso: They have straddled the club in massive debt for nearly two decades, which hasn’t reduced in that time. The training complex is years behind our rivals, the stadium is falling apart, business men(not football men) are doing the day to day running of the club. The club needs massive investment on and off the field which the Glazers have no intention of financing. The only thing keeping them afloat is their massive world wide fan base, which should never be taken for granted.
I don’t agree with everything I’ve heard so far from the interview, particularly the criticism of ETH. Ronaldo should have been sold last summer and a replacement striker(or two) signed. The club is being used as an ATM by the Glazers.
The ego finally snapped. Ruined his legacy. And of all the clowns to give an interview to. Perfect for Utd. Fans won’t back him now. He’s finished. Utd and Ten Hag couldn’t have wished for a better outcome. I’m predicting a poor World Cup wit Portuguese fans calling for him to b dropped followed by zero big club interest. Ends up in MLS or Dubai. Oh how the might have fallen.
I commented on an article about him walking out of Old Trafford pre season and said he has a terrible attitude. United fans defended him saying he has the attitude of a winner. Maybe this might open people’s eyes. Cristiano only cares about Cristiano. And to do an interview with that parasite makes it even worse.
The soap opera that is Utd just doesn’t stop giving, hilarious watching Mancs fawn over him when he was resigned and now fooking him under the bus….comical stuff.
@Peter Dunne: ur sad god love u. Not a Utd fan but ur a desperate troll. Like a 14 year old in the school playground.
@Peter Dunne: dumbo
@Peter Dunne: Tell ya what is funny….one league in 7 years for the best team and manager in the ‘werld’.
Needs to be talked about more especially as they’re now finished challenging City.
A truly great player will be remembered for a seedy, squalid last season at Utd. Depressing.
As a United fan I respect his perspective, but his ego is playing a part their too. The rest of the team seem to be on board with Ten Hag. On the evolution of the club he’d know better than the rest of us how little it has progressed. He didn’t have these complaints about Real Madrid or Juventus and while he was with them he was always focal about following United over the years. He’s clearly passionate about the club and where he wants them to be, yet no one seems to appreciate that. Then again whether his heart was in the right place he’s definitely leaving now.
@Andrew Keane: What a load of nonsense! He was so passionate about Utd he forced a move to Real Madrid….. He downed tools at Utd during his pension year’s too…..
@Daniel Kelly: did you see the present tense there in what I wrote? That means I’m not talking about the past. I’m talking about right now.
@Andrew Keane: My point still stands he ain’t passionate about Utd….. He couldn’t care less!
I never anticipated Ronaldos second spell at United becoming this toxic, its proving to be more bother than what it’s worth. Love him as a player but ETH is the manager and that’s the bottom line, he calls the shots.
Should never have brought him back. Gary neville and Rio Ferdinand were giddy with excitement as were a lot of united fans when he came back last season but this was always going to happen.
@James horgan: So true. I have long maintained that his return would set the club back years and end badly. But no- I was being ridiculous- apparently he was the only one keeping them from being relegated!!
Well I’m not usually one for ‘I told you so’ but….
He will retire after a poor World Cup but I’m Mazed no fan has mentioned the death of his child , I’m not sure I’d continue to function in my job if in his shoes. Sad to see his legacy tarnished but he speaks a lot of truth about UTD failure to move on post Fergie , cos he still calls tge shots
@John Mc Grane: Ronaldo isn’t the first footballier to lose a child and won’t be the last they don’t behave like he does , he’s like a spoiled child who a tantrum because their no center of attention any more he needs to grow up other players get left on the bench and they don’t behave like that he needs to get a grip and realise he’s not the only player in MU and soccer world doesn’t revolve around him if he’s not happy at M.U leave and give everyone a break doing an interview with pier’s Morgan just shows how selfish he is again all about himself why not have a chat with management and see what happens like any other player would.
@Moya Power-kelly: what a very callous thing to say about his child. I know you hate the guy but jeez.
Yerra…
The timing of the interview is perfect for Ronaldo as the January transfer window will be open soon. It gives suitors a few weeks to get the money together for his exorbitant wages. I think Utd would let him leave for free at this stage.
Off all the rags to open your heart too!! Surely there was a better path Cristiano.
Off with him he may have some points to make on the owners but that’s easy bait to the dumdum fans, speaking about the manager that way means he has to go, rip up his contract and let him off, it’s not like he is going to gwt another long term contract even if he did go to Chelsea he would have Potter fired by the end of his first month
It’s a sad conclusion to his time at UTD.
It was somewhat inevitable though, and the manager must cop some of the blame that we are in this situation.
It was clear in August he wanted out. He told the manager. You can’t keep an unhappy player.
The manager chose to keep him, when he could’ve off-loaded him. The team wasn’t united with him in it.
Ten hag even made him captain, two weeks ago.
How embarrassing was that?
@Matt Vaughan: matt nobody wanted him. Absolutely no club made an offer.
@Brian Dunne: apparently that’s not true.
Keane alluded to it, when arguing on TV a few weeks back. He had offers. The club/ manager wouldn’t let him go
@Matt Vaughan: sometimes keane is wrong. No one came in for ronaldo. Im pretty sure ten hag would have sold him in a heartbeat given the chance
@Matt Vaughan: in fairness, with Martial’s injury problems, Rashford’s poor form last season and Greenwood’s legal problems they held on to him out of need. Plan B during some games was to put Rashford up front with him which worked on occasion. Ultimately he has missed chances that he would have scored previously so was likely to be taken off more and more. After this, he no longer deserves respect. Hopefully Utd can buy a decent striker in January and this sorry saga can end.
Think some will find that Ronaldo is bigger than a club
I remember Fergie getting all the credit for he resigning for Utd….that worked out well..
Very interesting timing on the release of this statement. Just after the last game before the world cup. He’s definitely angling to leave inbthe winter transfer window and United would be wise to let him go and use the cash to invest in younger talent.
Loves the club…
Thanks Ronnie…. On yer bike…. Bye.
Yesterday’s man move on.
Well done Agent Ronaldo, jeep up the good work!
I’ve stated before on such sites on 42 that he is not good for united even though he would come up with the goals no doubt .He made it all about him and the likes of Ole not been strong enough to do the right thing cost him his job . ETH has stood his ground and handled it brilliantly , I watched to see what he would do and I have to say he did brilliant . Ronaldo will be always spoke of as a legend but this is a tarnish on him .
Come on chaps. Ego is what made him the player he is and there is nothing wrong in that. Like us all , when we were young we could do it all , be it all and in some cases , we were it all. But I think ego can only grow so much and he has reached his summit and that’s what I think he can’t handle. His ego won’t let him. PM did a passionate with him a few years back and I would say that is why he talked to PM. I would like to say farewell and thanks for the memories.
Its a 90 minute interview everyone reacting to couple seconds clip needs to be heard in context
Between this walking ego man-child Ronaldo and the other Qatari sports washing employee and Tourism Ambassador for Saudi Arabia, Messi, I think it’s fair to say that both legacies have been more that an little tarnished recently.
Flogging a dead horse…… did we all not hear this story last nite ??? Why do the same story again ???
And how many £millions is he being paid to suffer this perceived “betrayal”. Is he doing the job he is paid to do i.e. score goals….. no, too busy mouthing off …only 1 goal so far this season. Talk about a spoiled narcissist ….
They have straddled the club in massive debt for nearly two decades, which hasn’t reduced in that time. The training complex is years behind our rivals, the stadium is falling apart, business men(not football men) are doing the day to day running of the club. The club needs massive investment on and off the field which the Glazers have no intention of financing. The only thing keeping them afloat is their massive world wide fan base, which should never be taken for granted.
I don’t agree with everything I’ve heard so far from the interview, particularly the criticism of ETH. Ronaldo should have been sold last summer and a replacement striker(or two) signed. The club is being used as an ATM by the Glazers.
Good God! The merry-go-round continues. Cristiano and Piers giggling on the carousel. Soccer had become nauseating. Prima Donnas and egomaniacs. WGAF! Give me GAA any day. Life really is far too short…..
I’m sick of looking at this moody muppet now. Was a great player. Not anymore. I don’t care what you did in the past, you’ve ruined all that now. Time to go Ronnie.
The timing of it is handy with the january window round the corner after the WC. They should just tell him stay at home. Probably save a bit of money if he breaks his own contract by resigning. Was one of the best last season, and great memories of his first reign, but they are better off without this version of him.
@A$AP ETH: so you’ve finally come round. But it shouldn’t be an interview that convinces you. His influence since his return has been detrimental to the team- regardless of how he performed as an individual. Fortunately for Utd fans ETH diagnosed the problem right away.
@Tom Walsh: come around to what? I always said he was the best of a bad lot last season. 24 goals in a season at age 37 is still an impressive achievement. Is it supposed to be a revelation that ronaldo has a big ego, he has been like that since he was a teenager. Nobody, including me cared when he was doing the business. Take each season on it’s merits Tom. More than ronaldo were to blame for last season, 95% of the team downed tools for ragnick.
@A$AP ETH: Okay apparently not. You still can’t see what should be blindingly obvious – that Utd were dong just fine until Ronaldo returned. He upset everything- yet you call it ‘doing the business’. You realise that without Ronaldo, Ole would likely still be there? There would have been no ‘downing tools’ or even a Ragnick.
Amazing how they all upped tools again (and started playing like a team) once Ronaldo was dropped?
@Tom Walsh: really? Your complete willful blindness to the deficiencies in other areas of the team in order to push the same tired point about ronaldo is hilarious. It’s not ronaldo’s fault united had one of the worst defences in the league, and a midfield that couldn’t keep the ball to save their lives. Rashford and martial in the worst form of their lives and the less said about greenwood the better. As someone who watches utd religiously, i can tell you they weren’t ‘doing just fine’ under ole before ronaldo came. They were extremely lucky to get 2nd that season, the last few weeks were horrendous, and the trend continued into the next season. Anything else is revisionism to push your own agenda.
@A$AP ETH: Same tired point about Ronaldo? Well I predicted what would happen. And then it happened. Yet I’m now accused of revisionism (to push my agenda- whatever that is) while you tie yourself in knots trying to explain what transpired (e.g. inexplicable loss of form or ‘downing tools’). Lets just agree to disagree on this one. But I gotta say- for someone watches Utd a lot you don’t really see very much.
@Tom Walsh: You are being revisionist about Ole’s reign at Man utd, but you knew that was what i meant. I praised ronaldo when he was doing well, now he is refusing to play and slating the team in public, i reckon they would be better off without him. It’s called revising your opinion based on events. If tying myself in knots is having an actual recall of events rather than a myopic black and white grudge i refuse to budge from, i’ll take that. You are not a football oracle Tom. Predicting the decline of a 37 year old player isn’t mystic meg stuff.
@A$AP ETH: I didn’t predict the decline of a 37 year old player. I predicted the decline of the club- that he would stink the place out and set the club back years.
@A$AP ETH: I’ll personally be glad to see him gone. Couldn’t care less about how good he was….its the manner in which he has conducted himself in the last year that is the most disappointing thing. I hope they fine him 4 weeks wages so he doesn’t earn a penny during that sham of a tournament in the next few weeks. Then cancel his contract in January and let him F! #! off to PSG where then can’t get enough of Toxic egos!
Cheerio!
Ronaldo is spot on, that man has soared with eagles, but he’s surrounded by pigeons at Man U.
I’m sure he won’t be on the dole for long.
Only one doing the forcing here really…
Of course they’re benching him. Otherwise he’d be in top shape for the world Cup. It’s all money and corruption. The venue alone makes that pretty clear.
Staged by all parties… So the Ronaldo fanboys will agree with him wanting out and the club fans will agree with club wanting him out lol