Manchester United set to sue Cristiano Ronaldo for breach of contract: report
“I feel betrayed,” Cristiano Ronaldo told Piers Morgan about his treatment by Manchester United, the giant club that Forbes ranked as the most valuable in England this year, behind only Real Madrid and Barcelona in the world.
Apparently he’s not the only one.
Manchester United plan to sue Ronaldo, one of the greatest footballers in the world and one of the greatest in his own history, following a explosive interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan.
The soccer pro has hired lawyers to sue Ronaldo for breach of contract Guardian reported on Friday. Both parties are likely to get what they want – Ronaldo will never play for the club again. The real battle could be how much of his $70 million salary he actually gets.
The club’s official statement was tight-lipped. “Manchester United took appropriate steps this morning in response to Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent media interview,” it said in a statement on Friday. “We will have no further comment until this process is complete.”
That Guardian also reported that Ronaldo was ordered not to return to the club’s training base after playing with Portugal at the World Cup in Qatar.
So how did that come about and what exactly did he say to Piers Morgan?
“I’m not that kind of player”
Ronaldo became a global star during his early days at United from 2003 to 2009, when he won virtually every honor in sport. He was then transferred to Spain in a record-breaking deal and became even more famous when his Real Madrid faced the only club and player considered equal or better: Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. After a move to Italy, he returned to United in 2021 with much fanfare.
But age comes for all of us and Ronaldo, now 37, was mortified to see United eliminated from his favorite competition, the UEFA Champions League, and has reportedly and even visibly been trying to force his way out ever since . For example, he left several games when he didn’t start or didn’t play to his liking.
Things came to a head in October when United actually won a crucial game against Tottenham Hotspur leaving Ronaldo unhappy. He refused to be substituted on and actually went through the tunnel to the dressing room during the game.
On Morgan’s Uncensored show, which airs on TalkTV, Ronaldo explained his behavior. “You want to use me for three minutes against Tottenham? It doesn’t make any sense,” he criticized coach Erik Ten Hag’s choice of coach, even though he won the game. “I’m not allowed to have a coach put me into a game in three minutes. Sorry, I’m not that kind of player.”
“I have no respect for Erik Ten Hag because he has no respect for me,” he added. “If you don’t have respect for me, I’ll never have one for you.”
“I’m sorry. I apologize. I’m not perfect. I made a mistake, but I think suspending myself for three days is too much. You [made] Fire for the press, which really disappointed me,” Ronaldo said, calling it a strategy for the club to kick him out after his strike. He also said the Glazer family, the Tampa-based owners of Manchester United, don’t care about the club.
He also criticized Ten Hag’s predecessor as manager, Ralf Rangnick, a German manager who had never coached in England before. “If you’re not even a manager, how do you become Man United boss? I had never heard of him.”
Then Ronaldo grew nostalgic for Sir Alex Ferguson, the legendary manager who first propelled him to stardom while continuing to criticize the club’s current state. “Nothing has changed here since Sir Alex left,” he said, accusing the club of incompetence. He said he found on his return that behind the scenes the pool, hot tub, gym and food were unchanged since 2009. “Manchester United have made no progress.”
Perhaps most serious was Ronaldo’s personal criticism of the club’s management. He accused them of failing to cope with a family tragedy last April when his newborn son died suddenly and another newborn, a twin sister, was ill. “Manchester United executives didn’t seem to believe 100% that my newborn daughter was ill. It hurts because they didn’t take my word for it.”
If Sir Alex Ferguson were still the manager, Ronaldo might be unhappy with how he was handling the matter. This isn’t even the first time an explosive interview has ended a star player’s relationship with the club. In 2005, club captain Roy Keane (widely credited as the inspiration for Teddy Lasso‘s “Roy Kent” was interviewed by United’s in-house TV station MUTV and his Ronaldo-esque tirade was not only “unbroadcast” but Ferguson made sure he never played for United again.
Our new weekly Impact Report newsletter will examine how ESG news and trends are shaping the roles and responsibilities of today’s leaders – and how best to address these challenges. Subscribe here.
