Erik ten Hag has urged Manchester United officials that Cristiano Ronaldo should not return to the club after his explosive interview.
On Monday, Ten Hag met with Joel Glazer, Richard Arnold, John Murtough, and co-chairman Joel Glazer to address the effects of Ronaldo’s shocking talk with Piers Morgan.
Ten Hag thinks Ronaldo has gone too far in his criticism of the team and the admission that he “doesn’t respect” the United manager. Ten Hag was not in Manchester when Ronaldo’s interview went viral. He had to postpone the start of a family vacation to address the situation.
According to reports, United learned about the interview in the hours following their thrilling 2-1 victory over Fulham on Sunday. They are now seeking legal counsel on how to handle the situation.
There is a perception at Old Trafford that it will be nearly impossible to reintegrate the 37-year-old into the team after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, despite the fact that Ronaldo has a contract worth more than £500,000 per week until the end of the season.
The timing of the striker’s outburst, with portions of the interview first made public just hours after the teenager Alejandro Garnacho had scored a stoppage-time winner against Fulham, has sources telling ESPN that a number of senior players at United are incensed.
Ten Hag has already given Ronaldo two warnings this year.
He received a first warning in July for leaving early during a preseason game against Rayo Vallecano, and he received a second warning in October for declining to replace an injured player against Tottenham Hotspur. Ronaldo was told to work out by himself and was barred from the 1-1 tie against Chelsea.
In the second half of the season, when United hopes to be competitive in four tournaments, Ten Hag is still of the opinion that a motivated and fit Ronaldo can help his squad.
But he has informed the club’s management that he is not willing to compromise the squad’s cohesion to make room for the Portugal international and is ready to let him go even if a replacement cannot be found.
Erik ten Hag on Ronaldo’s Interview
Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, reportedly has no wish to see Cristiano Ronaldo play for the team again because he feels the Portuguese star went too far in his criticism of both the Red Devils and his personality.
In a candid interview with Piers Morgan that will be televised in full this week, Ronaldo, 37, who is keen to quit Old Trafford, airs his frustrations and accuses the team and his manager of treating him with disrespect.
The conduct of their most senior first-team player, who has already been punished by Ten Hag twice this season, have left United, who stretched out the red carpet to welcome Ronaldo back to the club after 12 years away, incensed.
Ronaldo’s reaction when he was substituted at halftime against Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford in July, prompted the Dutchman to first caution Ronaldo about his future behavior.
When Ronaldo declined to replace another player in last month’s 2-0 victory against Tottenham, he was subsequently penalised two weeks’ worth of pay, which is thought to be worth around £500,000 per week.
Ten Hag criticized his behavior at the time, and it has been reported that after postponing his vacation to hold important meetings with United co-chairman Joel Glazer, the club’s chief executive Richard Arnold, and the football director John Murtough, Ten Hag believed the interview to be the last straw.
What Did Cristiano Ronaldo Say About Ten Hag?
In his conversation with Morgan, Ronaldo attacked Ten Hag particularly harshly, saying: “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 went on to criticize others too, adding: “Yes, not only the coach, but another two or three guys around the club. I felt betrayed.”
“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.”
United, who are reportedly indignant over the interview, released a brief, direct statement on Monday that emphasized the club’s desire for togetherness.
What Did Ronaldo Say About The Glazers?
Cristiano Ronaldo asserted that he thinks Manchester United’s owners, the Glazer family, view the group as a “marketing club” and are uninterested in sport.
Ronaldo made the remarks in an explosive interview with Piers Morgan that first aired on Sunday. Ronaldo said he felt deceived by Manchester United and had little regard for Erik ten Hag, the club’s inexperienced manager.
The Glazers have come under fire from United supporters for not making enough investments in the squad, which has gone five years without a trophy, and Ronaldo added that he had never spoken to the American owners.
“The Glazers, they don’t care about the club or professional sport. Manchester [United] is a marketing club,” Ronaldo said to Morgan on Sunday. “I want the best for the club. This is why I came to Manchester United and why I love the club.
“But you have some things inside that don’t help [us] reach the top level as [Manchester] 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.”
In the interview, Ronaldo also expressed his opinion that it would be challenging for United to dominate the sport in the ensuing two to three years.
While denying claims that he was ejected from Old Trafford in the summer and that the facilities at their Carrington training facility had not been upgraded since he left for Real Madrid in 2009, sources on Monday acknowledged that United were unhappy with Ronaldo for some of his accusations.
On Nov. 24, Ronaldo is scheduled to play Portugal’s opening game in Group H of the World Cup in Qatar against Ghana, followed by games against Uruguay and South Korea.
