Cristiano Ronaldo’s time with Manchester United is likely coming to an end, after the superstar’s recent comments about the club and manager Erik ten Hag. According to The Athletic, the club is exploring legal options to remove Ronaldo from the club and potentially get out from under his contract, which reportedly pays him £500,000 weekly.
“Manchester United has this morning initiated appropriate steps in response to Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent media interview,” the club said in a Friday statement. “We will not be making further comment until this process reaches its conclusion.”
After a summer in which he tried to force a move away from United, Ronaldo said that he feels “betrayed” by the club in an interview with Piers Morgan earlier in the week.
“I felt like some people don’t want me here,” he said, “not only this year but last year, too.”
He added that he’s lost all respect for ten Hag, the club’s manager.
“I don’t have respect for him because he doesn’t show respect for me,” Ronaldo said. “If you don’t have respect for me, I’m never gonna have respect for you.”
In October, ESPN reported that United had made Ronaldo available for transfer without seeking a fee, but that no other team has expressed interest in adding the Portuguese legend.
United could move to terminate his contract, but per the BBC, the team is “loath to offer the 37-year-old any kind of pay-off given how strongly they feel about the situation.”
The Athletic reports that the team is looking into a potential breach of contract by Ronaldo because of the comments, which could run afoul of his Premier League employment contract with the club. If he is found to have breached his contract because of comments deemed damaging to the club, United may be able to terminate the deal.
Ronaldo missed United’s final Premier League match before this winter’s World Cup break due to illness. He and Portugal are set to open World Cup play on Thursday with a Group H match against Ghana.
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