Cristiano Ronaldo once again stole all the headlines this week after his interview with English journalist Piers Morgan rocked the world of football.
The Portuguese striker, who is contracted to Manchester United until next summer, was overly critical of the both his club and his manager, revealing that he felt betrayed by way he’s been treated.
“I feel betrayed. Not only the coach, there are two or three more who want me out of the club. I have no respect for him (ten Hag) because he doesn’t respect me. If you have no respect for me, I will never have respect for you”, said the striker. He also called out former teammates and club legends Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville for what he perceives to be their constant and unjust criticism of him.
Ronaldo seems to have selective memory, and conveniently forgot that ten Hag made him captain in United’s Premier League match against Aston Villa, just two weeks after he stormed off the pitch when called upon during a match against Tottenham. In fact, the general opinion at United and among their fan base is that ten Hag has tried his best to accommodate Ronaldo, despite his frequent childish outbursts.
Tension in Portugal squad
It’s no surprise then that Ronald’s recent interview has caused indignation amongst both payers, fans and pundits. One such player is the Portuguese’s Manchester Untied and international teammate Bruno Fernandes. The pair recently joined up with the Portugal squad at their training camp ahead of the World Cup and the moment they saw each other for the first time since the interview was caught on camera.
As they say, ‘actions speak louder than words’ and that was certainly the case with Bruno in this encounter, who gave his international teammate an overwhelmingly frosty greeting. Fernandes looked at him like a disappointed parent, barely making eye contact and offering a weak handshake.
After the encounter, Ronaldo was clearly taken aback, staring into space for several seconds.
A good group dynamic is fundamental for a successful World Cup run, especially at this year’s addition given players have had such little time together. The two players will need to put this episode behind them before Portugal’s World Cup campaign starts on November 24 against Ghana.
