A sit-down interview with TalkTV where the forward hit out at the club has been slammed by fans.
Image source, Getty ImagesWhen a footballer scores goals, wins trophies and brings great joy, there is usually no doubt about just how iconic that player is for fans.
But, when you give an explosive interview berating your club – as Cristiano Ronaldo has done – that legacy can be called into question.
Ronaldo – often described as the greatest of all time – said fans would be on his side.
So is that true? Not for Manchester United supporter Morgan Lewis.
He says the goalscoring machine is “absolutely done”.
The first part of his interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV aired on Wednesday, but fans got an idea of what to expect from clips where he said the club “betrayed” him.
Although some have continued to support Ronaldo, 24-year-old Morgan says the club has “got to look at getting him out as soon as possible”.
“You don’t want him coming back in and infecting the dressing room even more.”
“We just need this guy rid,” adds Harry O’Connor. “This is the last thing we need, I just think Ronaldo’s got to go as soon as possible.”
Image source, Harry O’Connor
What was said?
It’s fair to say the season has been choppy for Ronaldo at Manchester United so far.
He was reportedly angling for a summer transfer and was dropped from the squad after refusing to come on as a substitute when United took on Tottenham last month.
But those choppy waters turned into full on stormy seas when clips from his sit down interview with Piers Morgan were shared online.
The first part of the interview was broadcast on Wednesday night with the second half coming out on Thursday.
Ronaldo told Piers he had no respect for current manager Erik Ten Hag and criticised former teammates and Manchester United legends Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville, not to mention the club’s owners.
Image source, Getty Images
The Glazer family bought Manchester United in 2005 and Ronaldo says they “do not care about the club”.
This isn’t out of step with what fans have been saying for a number of years and there have even been protests against their ownership.
And some have called for empathy around Ronaldo’s personal circumstances, which he also talks about in the interview, with the forward and his partner Georgina Rodriguez announcing the death of their baby boy earlier this year.
For what it’s worth I do think Ronaldo’s personal life has been a major factor in the way he is acting right now.
Losing a child, having to support your wife emotionally, having to accept time waits for no man in football, and seeing you’re not the star you once were is tough.
— Paddy Keogh (@OddsOnFPL)
But while Harry and Morgan sympathise and agree with comments about the owners – from a football perspective, they say his comments about Ten Hag have crossed a line.
“Some of the stuff he said about the owners and the executives, you can understand it,” says 22-year-old Harry.
But he feels the moment Ronaldo said he had “no respect for Ten Hag” was the moment he lost support.
“You can’t dig out the manager like that,” adds Morgan. “No one’s bigger than the club.”
Image source, Getty Images
What will it be like in the dressing room?
Former Man City defender Nedum Onuoha told BBC Newsbeat that players will still look up to Ronaldo in the dressing room.
“Individually they’ll still look at his highlights, they’ll see the hundreds of goals that he scored, and the things that he’s won, and still strive to have as successful a career as he’s had.
“Certain bits, in terms of how he’s conducting himself now, they won’t like, but 99.9% of footballers know that they couldn’t even think about doing this anyway.”
Image source, Getty Images
Normally, Nedum says players would support their teammates putting in transfer requests if it’s a better opportunity for them.
“But in terms of Ronaldo, it’s different,” he says. “It’s not just any player. It’s one of the greatest players to ever play the game.
“For him to be taking it to these lengths in terms of speaking out against the club… you’re not used to seeing things like this for a club of this stature.”
Image source, Morgan Lewis
Will he win back the fans?
As we enter a break in the season for the World Cup, Ronaldo will be in Qatar to play for Portugal.
“There was always that fantasy with Manchester United fans of wanting Ronaldo to come back,” says Harry. “It was nearly 10 years in the making.”
For the striker to speak out against the club after such a long relationship, Harry thinks it will be hard for fans to forgive and forget.
However, “time is a healer”, he says, and Morgan agrees.
“Right now, I think his legacy is done, I think he’s completely ruined it,” Morgan says. “It’s very raw right now.
“But if you asked me in three or four years’ time, I might say something different.”
