Cristiano on his son’s death: ‘Manchester United never showed empathy’

whatCristiano Ronaldo will continue at Manchester United when he returns from the World Cup in Qatar? His statements in a television interview deepened the distance that he already had with the club at the beginning of the season, when there was speculation that he wanted to leave. He now says that it was the opposite, that they did everything possible to throw him out. Whoever was the one with the truth, the truth is that no top-level club approached an offer or was willing to assume his high contract.

(Also read: Cristiano Ronaldo is “sick”, does not play and sets off alarms in Portugal).

A few months ago, the Portuguese supposedly intended to go to a team that would participate in the Champions League, a competition in which he is the all-time top scorer, since Manchester United only qualified for the Europa League. He was absent for much of the preseason and upon his return he did not maintain untouchable status for coach Erik Ten Hag.

This Sunday, in the program ‘Piers Morgan uncensored’ (Piers Morgan without censorship), of the chain sky sports, Cristiano attacked everyone, with the exception of Alex Fergusonthe technical director who recommended his hiring when he was 17 years old and played for Sporting Lisbon.

CR7 was not among those called up by Manchester United who beat Fulham 2-1 this Sunday, with a goal in discount from Argentine Alejandro Garnacho, who admitted having Cristiano as an idol. A few days after playing his fifth World Cup, the same amount as Lionel Messi, the Portuguese pointed heavy artillery at the club and at Ten Hag: “I feel betrayed because they turned me into the black sheep. Not only the coach, there are two or three others who want me out of the club”.

(You can read: Lionel Messi is already with Argentina, his first training session, video).

His relationship with Ten Hag is unlikely to return: “I don’t respect him because he doesn’t show me respect. If you don’t have respect for me, I will never have it for you.” Then he charged Wayne Rooney, a former Manchester United teammate for five years, who days ago had said about Cristiano: “I think that the things he did from the beginning of the season are unacceptable for the club. It’s an unwanted distraction that Manchester doesn’t need at the moment when they are trying to rebuild.”

Cristiano responded to Rooney: “I don’t know why he criticizes me so much. Probably because he finished his career and I’m still playing at a high level. I’m not going to say that I look better than him, which is true.”

His questions reached the club’s management: “I think the fans should know the truth. I want the best for United, that’s why I came back. But there are things inside that don’t help us reach the top level, like City, Liverpool and even now Arsenal. I love United, I love the fans, they are always on my side. But if they want to improve, they have to change a lot of things, a lot of things.”

(You may be interested in: The most absurd penalty charge in history: mockery and criticism, video).

He only rescued Ferguson: “I don’t know what happens to Manchester since Alex left. The club has not evolved. Zero progress. Alex knows better than anyone that the club is not going the way it deserves. Everyone knows it, the club is not advancing. People who don’t realize it is because they don’t want to see it; they’re blind”.

Cristiano acknowledged that he followed Ferguson’s advice when he parted ways with Juventus: “He told me ‘there’s no way you’re going to Manchester City’, and I said ‘ok boss’”. He accused the management of “lack of empathy” at the time his wife lost a pregnancy: “Liverpool fans held a minute’s silence for the death of my son, it really surprised me. At Manchester United they never showed empathy for the situation I experienced, never.

He was also lapidary with Ralf Rangnick, the interim coach who preceded Ten Hag last season: “If you’re not even a coach, how are you going to lead Manchester United? I never heard of him.”

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These statements by Cristiano put his poor football season in context. In 14 Premier League dates, he started four games and came off the bench in another six. He only played 520 of the 1,260 possible minutes. He scored just one goal, on October 9, in a 2-1 win over Everton. He showed more of his presence in the Europa League: he was there from the beginning in the six rounds, with two goals, both in the games against Sheriff Tiraspol.

Cristiano has the World Cup ahead of him, while his relationship with Manchester United entered a path of difficult return.

THE NATION / ARGENTINA (GDA)