Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Manchester United but it appears from his bombshell interview with Piers Morgan that he might be regretting listening to his old manager, mentor and father figure, Sir Alex Ferguson.
It appears the Portuguese may never play for the club again after hitting out at United chiefs and manager Erik ten Hag in a conversation with friend and TalkTV host Piers Morgan.
failure to qualify for the Champions League saw him push to leave in the summer, and he has been in a dark mood ever since having feuded with new boss Ten Hag on more than one occasion.
It may have been a very different story had he signed for Manchester City like he originally planned.
Ronaldo was close to join Pep Guardiola’s side two summers ago, with United reportedly not interested in re-signing him.
Ronaldo’s Manchester United return was global news, but it now seems his Red Devils career will end with his legacy in tatters
But, as soon as the City deal looked done, United suddenly came alive and within days he was back with his former club.
And Ronaldo revealed to Morgan that it was all Fergie’s doing.
“I followed my heart,” he said, while tapping his chest, in the exclusive interview with TalkTV, which will be broadcast in full later this week.
“He [Ferguson] said to me, ‘It’s impossible for you to come to Manchester City’.
“And I said, ‘OK, Boss.’”
It proved to be a dream return for the superstar and United fans, as he scored twice in his first game back at Old Trafford in a 4-1 win over Newcastle.
Fergie was in the stands along with his crying mother as supporters chanted the No.7’s name well into the night.
But Ronaldo has now tainted his legacy at the club with his sit down interview with Morgan, where he accused Ten Hag and the United hierarchy of ‘disrespect’ and claimed they have ‘betrayed’ him.
The forward also hit out at former teammate Wayne Rooney after the England legend warned Ronaldo not to become an ‘unwanted distraction’ for the club – a warning the player appears not to have heeded.
Speaking of Ten Hag, Ronaldo told Morgan: “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.”
He also offered his verdict on the state of the club behind the scenes, particularly with the decision of hiring Ralf Rangnick as manager following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
“I don’t know what’s been going on, but since Sir Alex Ferguson left I saw no evolution at the club – the progress was zero,” he added.
“For example, when the club sacked Ole and they brought in a sporting director Ralf Rangnick, which is something nobody understands.
“This guy is not even a coach. A big club like Manchester United bringing in a sporting director [as a coach] surprised not only me but all the world.
“If you’re not even a coach, how are you going to be the boss of Manchester United? I’d never even heard of him.
“The club stopped in time since Sir Alex left. The pool, the jacuzzi, even the gym, the technology, the kitchen, the chefs – who I appreciate are lovely people.
“I thought I would see different things. Different technology, different infrastructure, but unfortunately I saw many things I used to see at the club when I was 22.
“So it surprised me a lot.”
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
