Cristiano Ronaldo deserved a grand farewell from Manchester United - despite his explosive interview which targeted the club.
That’s the view of former Red Devils skipper Antonio Valencia, who admits that the whole saga left him feeling “awful” about his old club. Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford to much fanfare, but after less than 18 months, his relationship with the hierarchy had been damaged beyond repair, with his contract mutually terminated.
That came after months of sniping and leaks from both sides which culminated in his tell-all chat with Piers Morgan before the start of the World Cup. In the two-part interview Ronaldo levelled accusations about several facets of the club’s running, including recently appointed manager Erik ten Hag.
The Dutchman had attempted to reconcile his differences with the 37-year-old, after the forward made it clear he wanted to leave during the summer window. Ronaldo responded by accusing the Dutchman of disrespecting him and attempting to force him out of the club.
Ten Hag also suspended the veteran striker for a Premier League clash with Chelsea, following an incident which saw him refuse to come on during a win over Tottenham at Old Trafford.
His final appearance in his second stint at United came in a 3-1 defeat at Aston Villa where he put in another ineffective performance. In front of home supporters, his curtain call came at the end of October, with few in attendance for the win over West Ham believing it would be such.
As it was, Ronaldo and United came to an agreement to end his contract shortly after his interview with Morgan aired. That meant fans didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to the departing icon - something Valencia believes his history with the club warranted.
“It was too bad Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United in the way he did,” Valencia told the Athletic. "A player like him should leave a club by walking off the pitch to applause at a sold-out stadium. The people there loved him.
“The interview he gave recently was unfortunate. He’ll have his reasons for saying what he did, but I felt awful about the way he left the club. It hurt. I hope everything goes well for him at his new club. I wish Ronaldo nothing but the best.”
Ten Hag has now closed the book on Ronaldo and the furore surrounding his exit, insisting they will now be looking forward rather than back. And United need to do just that and hit the ground running upon the resumption of domestic football if they are to compete for a Champions League place.
United finished with their worst ever Premier League points tally and two-time title winner Valencia revealed that he finds it difficult to see his old team in their current state.
He added: “It’s a great club that’s just stuck at the moment. It’s a team that’s looking up from a great distance at the top positions in the table. They haven’t been competitive enough. One game they are. The next game they’re not. It’s a shame.”
