- Cristiano Ronaldo has made a number of claims in a controversial interview
- He said that he does not respect Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag
- Ronaldo also accused the United boss of not having any respect for him
- The veteran striker has also hit out at Manchester United for ‘betraying’ him
- Ten Hag has reportedly told club bosses that Ronaldo can’t play for them again
- Team-mates are said to be furious with his outburst and Ten Hag has delayed his holiday
Erik ten Hag has reportedly told Manchester United bosses that Cristiano Ronaldo should never play for them again after his bombshell interview with Piers Morgan.
Among a number of explosive claims thrown against his current employers, the Portuguese superstar said he felt ‘betrayed’ by the Red Devils and that he doesn’t respect Ten Hag.
ESPN have reported that Ten Hag has delayed his family holiday in the fallout from Ronaldo’s astonishing interview and has demanded that the 37-year-old never play for the club again.
The Dutchman feels Ronaldo has gone too far in his criticism of the club and against himself, and held a meeting with co-chairman Joel Glazer, chief executive Richard Arnold and football director John Murtough to express his views on Monday.
It’s also said that a number of players are ‘furious’ at the timing of the striker’s outburst which first came to light on Sunday, feeling it took away from their victory just hours earlier.
Manchester United secured a dramatic victory over Fulham, in which teenager Alejandro Garnacho stole the headlines with his stoppage-time winner.
Though Ten Hag still feels a motivated Ronaldo could contribute in a positive manner during the second-half of the season, he is ‘not willing’ to sacrifice unity within the squad by keeping the Portuguese international.
It means United could be a man short in the second-half of the season, as Ten Hag would be willing to let Ronaldo leave Old Trafford – even if they can’t find a replacement during the January transfer window.
Before starting work at his new club, Ten Hag said in May that he couldn’t wait to work with Ronaldo – one of the greatest players of all time.
However, the relationship has been a strenuous one with Ten Hag twice disciplining Ronaldo since July.
He was first reprimanded for leaving their pre-season friendly with Rayo Vallecano early, before he was left out of the squad for a match after his refusal to come on as a substitute against Tottenham.
Ronaldo, who was the club’s player of the year and top goalscorer last season, has had a far more reduced role since Ten Hag stepped into the role.
He has often been used as a substitute, with just four Premier League starts so far this campaign.
In his interview with Morgan on Talk TV, which has been drip-fed since Sunday, Ronaldo claimed that Ten Hag doesn’t respect him.
He said: ‘I don’t have respect for him because he doesn’t show respect for me.
‘Some people, they don’t want me here – not only the coach but the other two or three guys. Not only this year, but last year too.
‘Honestly, I shouldn’t say that. But listen, I don’t care. People should listen to the truth. Yes, I feel betrayed.’
In his interview, Ronaldo also stated that Manchester United doubted his daughter was ill in hospital when he arrived back late for pre-season training.
Ten Hag was not the only person to be targeted by Ronaldo during his interview.
He hit out at former United interim boss Ralf Rangnick saying he wasn’t ‘even a coach’ and had ‘never heard of him’.
Ronaldo also accused Sky Sports pundit and former team-mate Gary Neville of using him to be ‘more famous’ and also hit back at Wayne Rooney who labelled his behaviour as ‘unacceptable’.
Since the interview, Ronaldo has met up with his Portuguese team-mates ahead of the World Cup, in what is likely to be his last chance at winning football’s grandest prize.
A video has gone viral of a frosty handshake involving United team-mate Bruno Fernandes, as Portugal’s players gathered ahead of the World Cup.
Sportsmail on Monday reported that United are exploring ways of sacking Ronaldo and that lawyers are studying Ronaldo’s claims to see if it constitutes a breach of his contract.
They are waiting for the rest of the interview which airs on Wednesday and Thursday, and issued a statement on Monday saying they ‘will consider its response after the full facts have been established’.
