Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo says the club’s owners, the Glazer family, “don’t care about the club” on the sporting side. “Manchester is a marketing club – they get money from marketing,” he said. “It will be difficult for Manchester to be at the top of the game in the next two or three years.” The 37-year-old Portuguese forward, who has scored just one Premier League goal this season, said: “The owners of the club, the Glazers, don’t care about the club, about professional sport.” Ronaldo added that he has never met the Glazers, who took over the club in 2005. United’s only public response to the Ronaldo interview came earlier on Monday, when the club said: “Manchester United notes the media coverage of an interview with Cristiano Ronaldo. The club will consider its response once the full facts are established . “Our focus remains on preparing for the second half of the season and continuing the momentum, belief and unity that is being built between the players, the manager, the staff and the fans.” Manchester United have not won a trophy since claiming the Europa League title in 2017 and fans have staged several protests against the Glazers’ running of the club. “The fans are always right,” Portugal captain Ronaldo said. “They should know the truth. The players want the best for the club. I want the best for the club. That’s why I came to Manchester United, that’s why I love this club. “You have some things within the club that don’t help Manchester get to the top level, like City, Liverpool and even now Arsenal. “It’s complicated. It’s hard. It’s hard.” MOTD2 analysis: ‘Ronaldo can’t get involved in the team now’, says Jermaine Jenas
“Neville and Rooney are not my friends”
In Sunday’s segment of the interview, Ronaldo was asked if he was angry at being criticized by former United team-mate Wayne Rooney – who now manages DC United. Ronaldo said: “Probably, because he finished his career in his thirties. So, I’m still playing at a high level. I’m not going to say that I look better than him, which is true, but.. .” In Monday’s segment, he turned his attention to another former United colleague – Gary Neville. He recently fended off the former England right-back, who was working as a pundit for Sky Sports. “It’s hard to hear that kind of criticism and negativity about people who play with you. For example, Gary Neville too. They’re not my friends,” Ronaldo said. “It’s easy to criticize, I don’t know if you have a job in television that needs to be criticized to make you more famous, I really don’t understand. “I think they are being taken advantage of [my profile] because they are not stupid. It’s hard when you see people who were in the dressing room with you criticizing in that way.”
What was happening before?
In the previously released section of the interview, Ronaldo – who earns £500,000-a-week – claimed the club are trying to get him out and that he has no respect for manager Erik ten Haag. Ronaldo scored 118 goals for United between 2003 and 2009 and his return in the summer of 2021 has been celebrated by the club’s fans – although he appears to have alienated many of them with this interview, which will air in full this week.
The World Cup is Ronaldo’s “absolute focus”.
Ronaldo is currently in Qatar with a Portugal squad aiming to add a first World Cup triumph to their Euro 2016 win. Contrary to the state of the club, he says the squad is “united” ahead of a tough Group H campaign in which they face Uruguay, South Korea and Ghana. He posted a message on Instagram along with a photo of four international team-mates – United team-mate Diogo Dalot, as well as Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa, veteran Pepe and Paris Saint-Germain’s Vitinia. Translated, the message reads: “Total and absolute focus on the work of the national team. United team, towards one goal: realizing the dream of all Portuguese!” Portugal begin their World Cup campaign on Thursday 24 November against Ghana. Manchester United, meanwhile, next matchday on December 21 in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup, at home to Burnley.
