Rio Ferdinand admitted Cristiano Ronald’s recent interview with Piers Morgan could have been manufactured to plot his departure from Manchester United.
In an interview on his Vibe with Five podcast as relayed by Sports Witness, the former Manchester United defender insisted the interview could be a ploy to accelerate Ronaldo’s transfer from Manchester United.
In an explosive interview, Ronaldo criticised the manager and gave his verdict that he feels the club betrayed him and the manager too doesn’t respect him at all.
The problem started in the summer when Ronaldo was pretty determined to leave the club in search of Champions league football. His agent Jorge Mendes failed to conduct a suitable transfer for his client and he stayed at the club.
His diminished pace hasn’t been much help as Erik ten Hag mostly preferred Marcus Rashford through the middle in some of the games. Ronaldo mostly started the Europa League games but couldn’t do much as he wasn’t at his fluent best.
He then decided to leave the stadium in the midst of the game against Tottenham Hotspur and also refused to come on as a substitute. The manager handled the situation quite well and Ronaldo wasn’t involved in the next Chelsea match.
The forward is expected to leave in January but following his current interview, it would be hard to imagine him at Old Trafford in the long term.
Rio Ferdinand said: “You can’t sit here and defend that from Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Deep down and I know it for a fact, this has all been manufactured for one thing – and that’s for him to leave the club.
“This love affair with Man United that Cristiano has had is over in my eyes. I don’t feel there’s any way back, I don’t feel the club will take him back and I don’t think that he wants to come back. This is all manufactured for that reason.
“Up to this interview I would defend him, and say the club have a big responsibility to communicate better.”
Ferdinand went on to add, “I played in dressing rooms with Van Nistelrooy, Roy Keane, David Beckham and Jaap Stam, four players who did less than this and never put the red shirt on again.
“When you say you don’t respect the manager, I don’t think there is any way back.
“How are the club going to allow Ronaldo to come back and undermine their current manager? They can’t.”
