Ten Hag: “I won’t have respect for you if you don’t respect me”, United manager Piers Morgan said after the World Cup
Ronaldo’s first spell was under former United manager Alex Ferguson, who retired in 2013. The Portuguese said his view of the club was also shared by Ferguson.
In the interview with Piers Morgan, which was released on Sunday,Ronaldo was asked if the United hierarchy were trying to get him out of the club.
Last month, Ten Hag said Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute against Tottenham Hotspur when the forward walked down the tunnel with a few minutes of the match remaining after being left on the bench.
The 37-year-old forward, who will captain Portugal at the World Cup in Qatar, said of Ten Hag: “I don’t have respect for him because he doesn’t show respect for me. I won’t have respect for you if you don’t respect me.
United did not immediately respond when contacted by Reuters for comment. After the Spurs game, Ten Hag said he remains an important player in the squad.
“But you have some things inside that don’t help (us) reach the top level as City, Liverpool and even now Arsenal… a club with this dimension should be top of the tree in my opinion and they are not, unfortunately.”
The club replaced the manager with a former team mate of the Portuguese, and he was not popular with the rest of the team.
The Ballon d’Or Winner in Saudi Arabia: An Aftermath to Rule Them All: Ronaldo Wins the World Cup With Saudi Arabia
Al Nassr posted a picture on social media of the five-time Ballon d’Or holding up the team’s jersey, with the club hailing the signing as “history in the making.”
The free agent, who was immediately available because of the break-up with Manchester United, did not have to wait for the January transfer window to open to sign a new contract.
Rumors had been swirling since his departure from Manchester that he was close to signing with a club in Saudi Arabia – something he had previously denied.
He won five Ballons d’Ors before moving to Real Madrid, where he won three more titles.
“This is a signing that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success but inspire our league, our nation and future generations, boys and girls to be the best version of themselves,” the club wrote.
It also gives the 37-year-old Ronaldo a massive payday in what could be the final contract of his career. The Portugal star could be earning $200 million annually from the deal, according to media reports.
The signing will be a boost for Middle Eastern soccer, but it is also going to bring up the subject of Saudi Arabia using “sportswashing” to improve its image. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund owns Premier League team Newcastle, and the country is considering a bid to host the 2030 World Cup.
Ronaldo had been a free agent after his contract was terminated by Manchester United following an explosive TV interview in which he criticized manager Erik ten Hag and the club’s owners. Portugal lost in the quarterfinals of the World Cup to Morocco, and he was benched in the knockout rounds.
He will now seemingly see out the last years of his career far away from the spotlight of top European soccer, as he is by far the biggest name to go play in the Saudi Arabian league.
Saudi Arabia earned its biggest international soccer win ever at the World Cup in Qatar last month when it beat eventual champion Argentina in its first group-stage game. The domestic league has few other stars and is not watched by a large international audience.
Cristiano Ronaldo won all five World Cups in his hometown Portugal (Italy) with Al Nassr on Wednesday – the first Brazilian to win a World Cup
The star of Portugal’s football team has moved to Saudi Arabia with Al Nassr, and explained on Tuesday that he won everything in Europe.
I am very proud of my decision to play football. It has been completed in Europe and I am proud of it. I won all of them, said the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. “I played the most important clubs in Europe and for me now, it’s a new challenge.”
The first man in five World Cups to score wasRonaldo, despite Portugal’s poor showing. He started Portugal’s round of 16 and quarterfinal matches on the substitutes bench, losing his place in the starting lineup after manager Fernando Santos opted to play Gonçalo Ramos in his place.
The Portuguese star was adamant that he could have an impact with Al Nassr despite slowing down on the pitch.