Manchester United have “initiated the appropriate steps” in relation to Cristiano Ronaldo’s explosive interview on TalkTV, the club have said in a statement.
Over the course of the week, Ronaldo has said he feels “betrayed” by United, that he does not “have respect” for head coach Erik ten Hag, that the club “doubted” him when he said he could not attend pre-season training due to the illness of his daughter.
He also told fans that the Glazers do not care about the club and hit out at former team-mates Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville.
Manchester United had originally responded to Ronaldo’s interview by saying they want to establish the “full facts” before taking action, but have now released an update saying they have “this morning initiated appropriate steps in response to Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent media interview. We will not be making further comment until this process reaches its conclusion”.
The Times reports that the club have instructed lawyers to make a case for breach of contract. ESPN added in their reporting that Ten Hag told club officials that he did not want Ronaldo back after the World Cup.
Former Manchester United player Neville has said that the club “have to” terminate Ronaldo’s contract following the fallout of the interview.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Neville urged the club to sack the forward.
“He wouldn’t have done this interview if he wanted a way back,” Neville said. “He knew it would bring the headlines it has and be the end of his Manchester United career.
“I’m wondering what Manchester United are doing because the reality of it is they know they have to terminate Cristiano’s contract or they basically open up a precedent so any player can criticise them in the future.
“I agree with some of the things Cristiano has said, and many Manchester United fans will agree with many things Cristiano has said, but the reality is if you’re an employee within a business and say those things your employment has to terminate, and Manchester United have to do that in the next few days.”
