Cristiano Ronaldo’s last appearance for Manchester United came in a 3-1 defeat by Aston Villa on 6 November.
Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo has left Manchester United after strong disagreements with manager Eric ten Hag.
The decision came after a controversial television interview in which the 37-year-old criticized the club and said he had “no respect” for manager Erik ten Hag.
Both parties said Ronaldo’s exit was “by mutual consent of both parties”.
A statement from Manchester United read: “The club thanks him for his outstanding contribution during his two seasons at Old Trafford.”
The club wished “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 achieve success on the pitch.”
United finished fifth in the Premier League in Ten Hag’s first season as manager and are now in the season break which coincides with the World Cup in Qatar.
Ronaldo plays for his country Portugal in the World Cup in Qatar, and is expected to lead them in their opening Group H match against Ghana next Thursday.
Ronaldo spoke to the media in Qatar on Monday, saying he would speak whenever he wanted and that his dispute with United would not “shake up” the Portuguese side in the tournament.
Ronaldo scored 145 goals in 346 games for United. And he had left Juventus, Italy, to rejoin United again, in August 2021, 11 years after he first left United to join Real Madrid.
Ronaldo’s £500,000-a-week United contract expired in just over seven months. His departure from the club frees him to sign with another club when the January transfer window begins.
According to a statement released by Ronaldo, his departure came “after talks with Manchester United, we mutually agreed to terminate our contract early.”
“I love Manchester United and I love the fans, and that will never change. However, it seems like the right time to look for a new challenge.”
“I wish the team all the best for the rest of the season and for the future.”
Controversial TV interview
Ronaldo has not played for United with an unspecified illness, it has been announced, since captaining the team in a 3-1 defeat at Aston Villa on 6 November.
image copyright Average AP
Ronaldo said his falling out with United won’t ‘shake’ Portugal’s World Cup squad in Qatar
Ronaldo was ruled out of the Premier League match against Chelsea last month by Ten Hag, having refused to come on as a substitute against Tottenham three days earlier.
In an interview with a British TV channel last week, Ronaldo said he had no regrets refusing to come on as a substitute in the closing minutes of the Tottenham match because he felt Ten Hag had “provoked” him.
He said he felt “betrayed by the club” and added, along with his opinion of Ten Hag, that he felt pressured to leave the club.
Ronaldo also said he hasn’t seen “a few developments” at the club since former manager Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
United responded with a statement on Friday, saying they had “taken the appropriate steps” in response.
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand told BBC Sport: “Cristiano obviously did that interview with the mentality that he wasn’t happy and wanted to leave the club. He said that very clearly.”
“I think Erik ten Hag also got what he wanted in this situation. Both sides are happy and we can move on.”
“Cristiano’s next stage we don’t know. It depends on his motivations. Playing in the Champions League? The money? Keep playing in a place with a good climate?”
“We’ll know in time, I’m sure.”
