Ronaldo has ruined his legacy with his startling TV interview
WE DO not know what has prompted Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo to speak out openly to Piers Morgan and to criticise the club he plays for, its board and manager, Eric Ten Haag.
From my standpoint, whatever the reasons, it’s such a shame that he felt the need to do this and sour what has been such a fantastic relationship with the club.
In two spells at the Red Devils, he has achieved so much to be proud of, even last season when nearing the latter stages of his career he managed to score over 20 goals which is a heck of a feat in the Premier League.
In his first spell he was, in short, a phenomenon. Adulation and respect from everyone in the city – lets be brutal here, even most Man City fans probably respect him for what he has achieved in the game.
Yet in the space of an hour-long interview, that relationship has vanished in this country, and more than likely far beyond. Is he that keen to get away or to put his point across that he is willing to sacrifice his legacy with one of the biggest clubs in the World? Seems like madness.
On the playing front, I would never criticise a player of his calibre, I wouldn’t do it to any player at any level for that matter. I might have an opinion on what he would have wanted to do better in a certain instance in a game, for example, but this is not about football prowess, this is about airing your laundry in as public a way as is possible.
For Cristiano to use such strong words as ‘betrayed’ is surprising. I think, for most of the world’s population, for someone to say that, who is being paid £500,000 a week... well, there needs to be a large slice of perspective.
Betrayed is probably a word used in anger and emotion and when being prompted and cajoled by a skilled host and presenter.
Is it because of the player’s desire to play in the Champions League? I doubt it. Is it the fact that he is not a guaranteed starter? Maybe. Or is it the fact that there is a personality clash? We don’t know. What we do know is that when Manchester United publicly state that they are thinking about what to state, then there is a big, big issue!
The changing room will not be happy that’s for sure. They will still respect their team-mate’s ability, but once you rock the boat as an individual, especially if the team are winning, you are on a sticky wicket.
All you will succeed in doing is to isolate yourself from the rest of the players. Eric Ten Haag hasn’t been frightened to make big decisions and the players will respect that, especially if the team are winning. This gives the manager strength.
As a player, I can tell you from experience that the changing room is a sacred place where you have to trust each other. You don’t always have to like everybody, I have been involved in and seen disagreements, fights, fallouts between team-mates, before, during or after games, or in training – even during some card games on the way to big games. But you shake hands and get on with it, and this is often what creates the intensity that is required together on the pitch.
You also want to create a ‘them against us’ mentality, whatever the context. Away fans, your own fans, the media, the world - it’s a way of galvanising a group, knowing that you have each other’s backs.
For the boys seeing that in the media, I’m sure it would have been a surprise and that is probably where the problem lies, or ultimately, maybe, it isn’t a problem. In Ronaldo’s case, it’s almost a certainty that he will never play for the club again and seemingly that’s what he wants.
For the fans, all they really care about is their team winning. For fans of teams in the Premier League and to a degree the championship I think patience levels wear very thin very quickly with any off the field controversy, purely because of the vast amount of money these lads are paid.
Once you create any resemblance of a controversy, a gripe, or a moan, there quickly becomes a fan to player problem.
Ronaldo won’t be the first player to court some negative publicity and he won’t be the last. It’s just that his level of fame brings with it more coverage than most.
Let’s not forget here that another ‘best player’ to have ever played the game, Lionel Messi, has also had several spats with managers at his beloved Barcelona, so no one is infallible. But because Piers Morgan is involved, which brings with it a bit more spice, and because it was so sudden, it has created a media storm.
I have been in changing rooms when players have been under fire, managers under intense pressure, the chairman or board being berated, and as much as sometimes you would love to shout from the rooftops you have to remain what you are titled, which is professional, is it not?
I’m not sure I can see where Eric Ten Haag or the club have specifically betrayed Ronaldo. Money is still being paid, handsomely, he is still on the pitch - admittedly on and off, but appearing nonetheless – and before this controversy, still loved by the fans. That’s why it’s such an eye brow tweaker.