It’s official – confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo will not be involved in this weekend’s clash after refusing to enter the field of play during the win over Tottenham, Manchester United have confirmed.
In the wake of the latest development, Cristiano Ronaldo has released a statement in response to the news that he has been axed from Manchester United’s upcoming trip to Chelsea.
The 37-year-old has been dropped against the Blues on Saturday after reportedly refusing Erik ten Hag’s call to come on from the bench during Wednesday night’s win over Tottenham. Shortly after his punishment was meted out, Ronaldo took to social media with a ‘contrite’ message of his own.
“As I’ve always done throughout my career, I try to live and play respectfully towards my colleagues, my adversaries and my coaches,” the statement reads. “That hasn’t changed. I haven’t changed. I’m the same person and the same professional that I’ve been for the last 20 years playing elite football, and respect has always played a very important role in my decision making process.
“I started very young, the older and most experienced players examples were always very important to me. Therefore, later on, I’ve always tried to set the example myself for the youngsters that grew in all the teams that I’ve represented. Unfortunately that’s not always possible and sometimes the heat of the moment get’s the best of us.
“Right now, I just feel that I have to keep working hard in Carrington, support my teammates and be ready for everything in any given game. Giving in to the pressure is not an option. It never was. This is Manchester United, and united we must stand. Soon we’ll be together again.”
Only 13 months into his celebrated return to the Red Devils, Ronaldo’s relationship with manager Erik ten Hag now appears to have crumbled beyond repair after this latest indiscretion. The Portuguese forward was dropped to the bench after starting previously against Newcastle.
Although goals from Fred and Bruno Fernandes earned United an impressive 2-0 victory, the headlines were dominated by Ronaldo and his the tunnel strop before the final whistle. Ten Hag was diplomatically vague over the incident but did insist the infraction would be dealt with the following morning.
“I don’t pay attention to that, I will deal with that tomorrow. I want to keep the focus on the team,” he said in his post-match press conference.
“It was magnificent from all 11 players. I have to correct myself. It was also a performance from the substitutes who came on. Once again, it was a squad performance. I think what we have seen is 11 players who defend and 11 who attack. I was pleased.”
Mirror Football understands that in the aftermath of the incident Ronaldo was penalised with a fine in the region of £1m and banned from first-team training for at least three days. United subsequently confirmed he would not be involved in Saturday’s game against Chelsea in a brief statement.
“Cristiano Ronaldo will not be part of the Manchester United squad for this Saturday’s game against Chelsea. The rest of the squad is fully focused on preparing for that fixture,” an official United update read.
It is alleged Ten Hag has the full backing of the Old Trafford hierarchy to sanction the club’s highest paid player in whichever manner he deems fit. It’s the latest unsavory development in a string of disagreements between Ronaldo and United, which started at the end of last season.
The saga is expected to regalvanise the forward’s desire to leave the club when the January transfer window opens. Despite United’s reluctance to sanction a mid-season sale without a replacement the acknowledgement is clear that the situation is becoming increasingly untenable for player, manager and club.