Cristiano Ronaldo has launched a stunning attack on Manchester United and manager Erik ten Hag who looks certain to end his career at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo has accused Ten Hag and the United bosses of trying to force him out of the club, saying he had no respect for the Dutchman and felt “betrayed”.
“I don’t have respect for him because he doesn’t show me respect,” Ronaldo said.
“Some people don’t want me here – not just the coach but the other two or three guys. Not just this year, but also last year.
‘Honestly, I shouldn’t say that. But look, I don’t care. People should listen to the truth. Yes, I feel betrayed.
Ronaldo missed United’s last game before the World Cup through illness on Sunday but Ten Hag will be glowing as the 37-year-old’s comments will eclipse the 2-1 win at Fulham and Alejandro Garnacho’s goal in time additional.
The United boss believed he had settled his differences with Ronaldo after the player was sacked and fined for refusing to come on as a substitute against Tottenham last month and then left before the end of the match.
Man Utd star Cristiano Ronaldo sat down for an explosive interview with Piers Morgan
During the interview, he claimed he felt ‘betrayed’ by Manchester United since his return and had no respect for current Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag (right).
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was allowed to return to the squad after apologizing and was even named team captain at Aston Villa last week.
However, Ronaldo’s outburst makes it almost impossible for him to stay at Old Trafford beyond the January transfer window, leaving United and Ten Hag with no choice but to find him a new club.
His team-mates were said to have been deeply disappointed by his comments on Sunday night and saw it as a way to force his departure from Old Trafford, which they now believe is inevitable.
In the explosive interview of his friend Piers Morgan on Talk TVRonaldo also criticized the club’s latest progress since his first start in 2009.
He added: “Since Sir Alex Ferguson left I haven’t seen any development at the club, progress was zero.
Ronaldo endured a frustrating season that saw him fall out of favor under Ten Hag
‘Nothing has changed. Not just the pool, the jacuzzi, even the gym. They stopped in time, which surprised me a lot.
“I think the fans should know the truth. I want the best for the club. But you have things inside [the club] it does not help to reach the highest level like City, Liverpool and even now Arsenal.
Ronaldo cited the appointment of Ralf Rangnick as caretaker manager last season as an example of the club’s problems.
I had never even heard of him. If you’re not even a manager, how are you going to be the boss of Man United? »
And he even gave former teammate Wayne Rooney a pop, saying: “I don’t know why he criticizes me so badly, probably because he’s finished his career and I’m still playing at a high level.”
“I’m not going to say that I’m more handsome than him, it’s true!”
United last night declined to comment but sources said they would not allow the interview to take anything away from the win at Fulham.
Ronaldo denounced ex-boss Ralf Rangnick, saying he didn’t even know who he was
Ronaldo also blasted Wayne Rooney following his ex-teammate’s criticism of him
Ronaldo was United’s top scorer last season with 24 goals in all competitions, but the Red Devils only managed to finish sixth in the Premier League.
This led to a change of manager over the summer, with Ten Hag arriving on a long-term deal from Ajax.
The relationship between Ronaldo and Ten Hag has appeared strained since the start of the season after the Portuguese star told United he wanted to leave in July.
Ronaldo was unsuccessful and has only started four league appearances for the team this season.
He has shown his frustration openly at times, refusing to replace Tottenham last month, as Sportsmail exclusively revealed, before storming through the tunnel and leaving Old Trafford before the final whistle.
This led to him being banned from the squad for the next game against Chelsea, and despite being back in the fold since then, Ronaldo has revealed he has no time for Ten Hag.
United beat Fulham 2-1 on Sunday but are still 11 points behind leaders Arsenal
When Ronaldo returned to United he first worked under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer but his former team-mate was sacked last November after a poor run of results.
This led to the 13-time Premier League champions appointing an interim manager in Rangnick until the end of the season.
United’s results have not improved under Rangnick, and Ronaldo has now questioned whether he has the qualifications to manage the club in the first place after spending much of the previous decade as sporting director.
After the win at Fulham, the Red Devils head into the World Cup break in fifth place, 11 points behind leaders Arsenal.
A title tilt already appears to be beyond United, and Ronaldo has slammed the club for not kicking off since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013. He believes dramatic changes need to be made before United can challenge for major silverware again.
“Progress was zero. Since the departure of Sir Alex, I have not seen any evolution in the club. Nothing had changed,’ Ronaldo admitted when talking about what he returned to last year after 12 years away from Old Trafford.
“I think the fans should know the truth. I want the best for the club. That’s why I’m coming to Manchester United.
Ronaldo thinks United haven’t evolved at all since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013
“But you have things inside that don’t help us reach the highest level like City, Liverpool and even now Arsenal… a club of this size should be at the top of the tree in my opinion and they don’t. are unfortunately not.
“As Picasso said, you have to destroy it in order to rebuild it (the artist’s exact quote was: “Every act of creation is first an act of destruction”. And if they start with me, for me, this n is not a problem.
“I love Manchester United, I love the fans, they are always by my side. But if they want to do things differently… they have to change many, many things.’
Ronaldo is now set to travel to Qatar with Portugal to play in his fifth World Cup.
United are due a Carabao Cup draw with Burnley and two league games against Nottingham Forest and Wolves when domestic action returns next month before the January transfer window opens.
