Prior to a report that their US-based owners, the Glazer family, may sell the Premier League giants, the club announced on Tuesday that Ronaldo’s controversial second spell at Manchester United would end with “immediate effect.
“Ronaldo’s outspoken television interview on TalkTV last week, in which he stated that he felt “betrayed” by the club and had no respect for new manager Erik ten Hag, set the stage for his departure from Old Trafford.
A Manchester United statement stated, “Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect.”
“The club wishes him and his family all the best for the future and thanks him for his enormous contribution during his two stints at Old Trafford, where he scored 145 goals in 346 games.
“Everyone at Manchester United continues to be focused on continuing the team’s progress under Erik ten Hag and working together to deliver success on the pitch,” reads the company’s website.
Ronaldo issued his own statement, declaring, “Love United, love the fans.”We have agreed to terminate our contract early after talking to Manchester United.
I will never stop loving Manchester United and its supporters. Nevertheless, I believe that now is the best time for me to look for a new challenge.
During his interview, Ronaldo, 37, was critical of the club’s US owners as well as the Old Trafford hierarchy and Ten Hag. Ronaldo is currently representing Portugal at the World Cup in Qatar.
According to Ronaldo, the Glazer family was more concerned with United’s potential to make money than with the team’s performance on the field.
Sky News reported Tuesday that the Glazers were preparing to formally announce their intention to examine potential sources of outside investment, which could include either an auction of United, with a full or partial sale, or a strategic partnership with third parties, among other possible options. The Glazers’ reign, which spanned 17 years, was marked by declining on-field performance and repeated fan protests.
After Alex Ferguson’s retirement, United sacked several managers and has not won the Premier League since 2013.
They have also failed of qualifying for this season’s Champions League, which may have motivated Ronaldo to appear to be pushing for a move during the preseason transfer window.
However, major European and English clubs decided not to move for a player who, despite the fact that he recently scored the 700th goal of his club career, is no longer the force he once was. However, he still receives a reported £500,000 ($593,000) weekly salary from United.
However, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has reportedly met with Bayern Munich and been linked to an emotional return to Sporting Lisbon, where he began his playing career as a youth player.
Rio Ferdinand, a former Manchester United defender, stated that Ronaldo and the club had achieved their goals.
Ferdinand, who worked with Ronaldo at Old Trafford, told the BBC, “Cristiano obviously did that interview with the mindset that he wasn’t happy and wanted to get out of the club.”He made it abundantly clear.
With United no longer at the top of English football, Ronaldo has undoubtedly been enraged by his diminished status at the club.
He left Manchester United in 2009 when they were one of the best teams in Europe. However, despite his 24 goals across all competitions, the team he came back to finished sixth in the Premier League.
Ronaldo made a name for himself during his first season at Old Trafford. He started out as a gifted teenager and grew into one of the best forwards in football.
During his trophy-laden tenure under Ferguson, he won his first Champions League trophy and his first Ballon d’Or.
After six years, he moved to Real Madrid, where he became the club’s leading scorer and helped them win the Champions League four more times.
Before returning to Manchester, Ronaldo spent three years at Juventus starting in 2018.
However, he has only played a minor role in an improving team this season under Ten Hag, and he was recently disciplined for refusing to play as a substitute.
Even though he was not selected for United’s final match before the World Cup break, Ronaldo, who has only scored three goals this season, had returned to the team.
He is captaining Portugal at his fifth World Cup with a record-breaking 117 international goals.
The winners of Euro 2016 play Ghana in Qatar on Thursday to kick off their campaign.