Manchester United are looking into the situation around Cristiano Ronaldo’s interview with Piers Morgan before responding.
A statement said: “Manchester United notes the media coverage regarding an interview by Cristiano Ronaldo.
“The club will consider its response after the full facts have been established.
“Our focus remains on preparing for the second half of the season and continuing the momentum, belief and togetherness being built among the players, manager, staff, and fans.”
Ronaldo said he “felt betrayed” by the club in an interview with Morgan, published in The Sun newspaper.
The 37-year-old forward added that he feels he is being forced out of United, “Not only by the coach (Erik ten Hag), but also by two or three other people around the club”.
He said: “I feel betrayed.
“Some people, I feel, don’t want me here. Not just this year, but last year too.”
Ronaldo also touched on his relationship with Ten Hag, adding: “I don’t have respect for him because he doesn’t show respect for me.
“If you don’t have respect for me, I’m never gonna have respect for you.”
He also spoke on Ralf Rangnick’s time at the club, who was appointed interim manager after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s departure last season.
The German has had significant success as a director of football but had not managed a team for over two years before taking over at United in November last year, with Ronaldo commenting: “If you’re not even a coach, how are you going to be the boss of Manchester United? I’d never even heard of him.”
Ronaldo told United he wanted to leave this summer, should the club receive a suitable bid, but no satisfactory firm offers were made for the forward.
He previously drew criticism from his manager back in August when he left early during a friendly against Rayo Vallecano. He was substituted at half-time during the warm-up fixture and was then filmed outside the ground before the end of the match.
Last month, he refused to come on as a substitute during the closing stages of his side’s win against Tottenham Hotspur. He was then left out of the squad for United’s fixture against Chelsea the following weekend and trained by himself for a week before returning to the line-up for their 3-0 Europa League win against Sheriff.
The Portugal international also missed his side’s final Premier League match before the World Cup break, a 2-1 victory over Fulham on Sunday, due to illness.
Ronaldo has struggled for form in front of goal this season. The Portugal international has only scored one goal in 10 Premier League appearances this season.
He has, however, played a more prominent role in the Old Trafford club’s Europa League campaign. Ronaldo has started all six of United’s matches in the competition, scoring two goals and claiming two assists.
In the Premier League, Ronaldo has largely been cast as a peripheral figure with just four starts.
United head into the World Cup break in fifth place in the Premier League table.
GO DEEPER
The more Cristiano Ronaldo says he feels ‘betrayed’, the more we see what he really wants
(Photo: Getty Images)
