Piers Morgan has shockingly revealed how he came about with the bombshell interview with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo granted an explosive interview with Piers Morgan airing out his grievances at Manchester United under Erik Ten Hag.
Ronaldo’s interview came in the eve of the 2022 World Cup break observed across major leagues in Europe.
It does not require much intuition to decipher that the Portugal international perfectly timed the interview to afford him an opportunity to stay miles away from the team after the snippets were released.
The bombshell interview came a few hours after Manchester United grabbed a last-minute win over Fulham, with Alejandro Garnacho with the late winner.
Ronaldo poured out his feelings and frustrations which he had bottled up following his travails with the club under Erik Ten Hag.
The interview has been greeted with mixed reactions among the rank and file, including the players and the coaching crew at Old Trafford.
It caps off all the on-pitch and off-pitch collisions between Cristiano Ronaldo and Erik Ten Hag at Old Trafford.
The five times Ballon d’Or winner held his nerves and had no scruples bringing to the fore what he sees as the rot at Old Trafford since Sir Alex Ferguson left the scene in 2013.
From the facilities to inept and non-competent management to the betrayal following his return, Ronaldo poured out his mind on Manchester United.
According to him, Erik Ten Hag only added to his frustration by disrespecting him, and as such he doesn’t respect the former Ajax manager either.
While many have wondered why Cristiano Ronaldo has treaded extremes to belittle the Red Devils on the media, Piers Morgan, who conducted the interview with the Portuguese star has come out to reveal how he came about with the bombshell session with the wantaway striker.
According to him, Cristiano Ronaldo approached him and wanted the interview done, not the other way round.
After conducting the interview, Cristiano Ronaldo also desired that the interview be published on the eve of the World Cup break, as he would buy him time away from the team joining his national team for the World Cup.
The veteran broadcaster confirmed that Ronaldo wanted the interview to focus on the troubles at Manchester United and his uneasy relationship with Erik Ten Hag.
The full two-part sit-down interview will be showcased on Wednesday and Thursday evenings and the Red Devils will have to brace up for more bombshell comments by the beleaguered striker.
According to reports, this first snippets of the interview has already sparked a furious reaction by his team-mates, more snippets will further flare up temper and commotion in the squad.
Meanwhile, Piers Morgan himself admits he maintains a good friendship with the Portuguese star and insisted that he felt compelled to do the interview after being contacted by Ronaldo.
He also defended the timing of its release and claimed the five-time Ballon d’Or winner wanted it to come out on the eve of the World Cup break.
“Cristiano asked me to do it. Simple as that. I didn’t ask him, he asked me. He’s been thinking about this for a while, it’s no secret he has build up deep frustration about what has been happening at United,’ Morgan told talkSPORT.
Morgan further revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo felt “he has to speak out, as he knows it will be incendiary, will rattle some changes, with criticisms coming at him, but he knows he speaks the truth.”
According to him Ronaldo has been thinking about this for while, before he called him up to grant the interview and timed it to allow the comments sipped into the United hierarchy and settle, so that things can be resolved later after the World Cup break.
“He’s been thinking about this for a while, and I got a call. The World Cup is about to start, it gives him a month away from United, and it gives him time for what he has said to settle in. He can come back and resolve things”, Piers Morgan noted.
Morgan added that Cristiano Ronaldo loves Manchester United and the fans and want some changes to return the team to its glory days.
“He loves Manchester United and the fans but what he has come to help make changes.”
Ronaldo snubbed a move to Premier League rivals Manchester City and joined his former team at the prodding of his former manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
His second spell with the Red Devils has been full of drama under new manager Erik Ten Hag. Everything started to crumble when Ronaldo fell out of Manchester United’s preseason and later returned to play second fiddle with other forwards.
He had opted for an exit which did not go through after Manchester United failed to qualify for the Champions League.
Erik Ten Hag reduced Cristiano Ronaldo to cameos off the bench, and this didn’t sit well with the wantaway striker.
To him, being reduced to the bench amounted to disrespect. So, he cannot respect Erik Ten Hag either.
His conflicting relationship with Erik Ten Hag led to a series of on-pitch and off-pitch collisions, with the Portuguese star leaving Old Trafford twice before full time.
This explosive interview with Piers Morgan is just one of the numerous dramatics that has greeted his second spell at Old Trafford under Erik Tem Hag.
As things stand, Cristiano Ronaldo will use the 2022 World Cup to buy time before the Premier League returns on 26 December.
He may likely face a stiff opposition from the United hierarchy following the interview. Outright contract termination is also a possible option.
