Many Manchester United fans have taken to social media to express their happiness at the club’s decision to terminate the contract of wantaway club legend Cristiano Ronaldo after the fallout in the aftermath of the explosive interview he had himself arranged for with the no-less-controversial Piers Morgan on the latter’s Piers Morgan Uncensored.
The Portugal captain’s premeditated bombshell interview was conducted in a cosy ambience and setting that were deceptively laidback as the details the star spewed out was decidedly hostile, if not toxic, at its best, wherein he in no uncertain terms slammed primarily his gaffer Erik Ten Hag, the club, its owners the Glazer family, and even hurled criticism at club legends Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville. In fact he even used the term ‘rat’ in association with Rooney.
Immediately after all episodes of the interview were aired by Morgan, the Red Devils lost no time in promptly announcing they were considering what appropriate action to take and that has now resulted in the mutual premature termination of his contract.
Ronaldo is undoubtedly one of the best players in football history since first joining United in 2003. But his second spell at Old Trafford has been nothing short of a disaster, with many United fans now happy to see him leave the club.
One wrote on Reddit: “Can’t expect much else after he went scorching earth and burned every bridge he had back.”
Another added: “What a beautiful day. Argentina lost, Ronaldo’s gone, it didn’t rain at all and I had lovely Indian food for lunch.”
A third thanked Ronaldo but insisted it was the right call: “Good…ripped off the band-aid… so Ronaldo’s performance in the World Cup does not affect our decision making …Thank you and thanks for all the (Good) memories.”
Another added: “Wow! That was way quicker than I expected. Glad it’s not a drawn out saga.”
United were also praised for securing a “big win” by moving Ronaldo out of the club.
“From the Utd side, this whole thing has been played brilliantly. Sure this is ultimately what Ronaldo wants too, but it’s a big win for Utd if he’s going without getting remainder of his wages. A striker in January is necessary, and hopefully a lot more likely now,” one fan said.
Others were more scathing in their criticism of Ronaldo, with several writing “Thanks for everything but good riddance”.
A final fan added a brutal takedown of the attacker, mocking his famous ‘siu’ celebration by writing: “siu later.”
The club officially announced Ronaldo’s departure in a short statement on Tuesday evening. It read:
“Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect.
“The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford, scoring 145 goals in 346 appearances, and wishes him and his family well for the future.
“Everyone at Manchester United remains focused on continuing the team’s progress under Erik ten Hag and working together to deliver success on the pitch.”
Ronaldo added a statement of his own after the news broke, insisting he still loved the club despite his explosive interview.
He said: “Following conversations with Manchester United we have mutually agreed to end our contract early.
“I love Manchester United and I love the fans, that will never ever change. However, it feels like the right time for me to seek a new challenge. I wish the team every success for the remainder of the season and for the future.”