Cristiano Ronaldo: Man Utd doubted me over my sick daughter when I missed pre-season | Football News

Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed members of the Manchester United hierarchy doubted him when he said he could not attend pre-season because his daughter was ill in hospital.

Ronaldo accused United of betraying him – claiming the club tried to force him out – and said he has no respect for manager Erik ten Hag in the first clips released by TalkTV from a 90-minute interview with Piers Morgan.

The Portugal captain also lashed out at former team-mate Wayne Rooney and United’s interim manager from last season Ralf Rangnick, as he criticised the lack of progress at Old Trafford since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.

And now, in the latest teaser from Ronaldo’s sit-down with the TV presenter, the 37-year-old has alleged that two senior members of staff at Old Trafford treated him with suspicion when he said his daughter, Bella, was sick with bronchitis – just three months after her twin brother had died.

“I spoke with the director and the president of Man Utd and they kind of didn’t believe that something was going wrong, which made me feel bad,” Ronaldo told TalkTV.

Asked to confirm they did not believe him, Ronaldo continued: “They believe me but in the same way [shakes head]… I am never going to change the health of my family for a football. Now, or 10 years behind or forward.

“And it is something that really hurt me because they doubted my word that I was struggling, especially Bella and Geo [Georgina Rodriguez, Ronaldo’s girlfriend].

“We had one week in hospital because Bella had a big problem and I didn’t go to the pre-season because of that.

“I didn’t want to leave my family to do the pre-season because I didn’t think it was fair to leave my family for a pre-season. This is why I didn’t go.”

Man Utd are not commenting on Ronaldo’s latest comments.

Man Utd to take legal advice before making decision on Ronaldo

United will take legal advice before deciding how to respond to Ronaldo, but will await the release of the full interview later this week before taking any decision.

Sky Sports News understands Ten Hag and the United players are extremely disappointed with the manner and timing of Ronaldo’s interview.

The club only found out about the interview as they were preparing to fly back from London on Sunday evening following their 2-1 win over Fulham and they do not understand why he has said what he has said.

They are hugely disappointed that he would disrespect the club, his manager and team-mates in this way and United are likely to consider all their options now regarding the player.

Ronaldo was told on Thursday that he would not be in the starting XI against Fulham but he would have been in the squad. He told the club he was ill.

Carra: Ronaldo wants the sack and United should do it

Jamie Carragher speaking to Sky Sports News:

I just thought the comments were bizarre. They were bang out of order considering the timing of it: On the back of Manchester United fans being delighted after getting a winning goal at Fulham with the last kick of the game.

It should give them excitement over the next month for when the league starts again. They should be enjoying themselves and then the Ronaldo interview comes out and boom – it’s about negativity. Not the team, not the manager – it’s about Cristiano Ronaldo. And it’s been like that since he’s come back. It’s basically been the Cristiano Ronaldo show.

At times that’s been good on the pitch, last season he got a lot of goals. But this season he’s not involved and he’s craving the attention that he can’t get because he’s not on the pitch. The only way he’s going to do that is by causing trouble and that was exactly his intention with the interview.

He wants to be sacked, that’s obvious. He told the club in the summer that he wanted to leave, which is football – these things happen. There were no takers, maybe because of his wages or the price Manchester United wanted. I think he knows that’s going to be the same in this next transfer window and maybe the following summer and he is now trying to be sacked or wants to leave on a free. That’s the only way he’s going to get out.

And I think United should sack him or move him on by giving him a free transfer. At the moment, they’re trying to build something that is not trying to win the Premier League or the Champions League right now. The manager will want to push for those honours in the next two or three years and Ronaldo is not going to be around.

He is going to be a distraction, this will not go away. As soon as a player comes out and says he doesn’t respect the manager, how is that going to work when he walks into the first day of the post-World Cup season? It can’t work that going forward – there will be people taking pictures, we will be asking about Ronaldo to the manager in interviews for Sky. United don’t need the hassle.