Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo smiles as he warms up during the Portugal’s official training on the eve of the group H World Cup soccer match between Portugal and Ghana at the Al Shahaniya SC training site in Al Shahaniya, Qatar, Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 10:40 AM PT – Wednesday, November 23, 2022
Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo has mutually terminated his contract with Manchester United. The Portuguese superstar officially parted ways after giving an interview blasting the team.
In a statement on Tuesday, the club announced that Ronaldo is leaving by mutual consent and with immediate effect. The club wished him well with his future endeavors.
Ronaldo made a sensational return to the club in the summer of 2021. However, he quickly understood that United had not made any progress since his 2003–2009 excellent tenure there.
“When I arrived, I thought everything will be different — the technology, the infrastructure, everything,” Ronaldo said. “I was surprised, in a bad way, in that way. I saw everything was the same.”
Prior to the World Cup, in an interview with Piers Morgan for Talktv, he accused the team of betraying him. Ronaldo clearly stated that he holds no respect for the manager, Erik Ten Hag. He also thinks that the manager does not hold proper respect for the sport in particular.
Ronaldo’s departure from Manchester United comes as he is captaining Portugal’s national team at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He asserted that the timing of his most recent remarks criticizing United wouldn’t impair his Portuguese colleagues’ focus.