The manager of Manchester United – Eric ten Haag, revealed new details about his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo. The Dutch specialist said that the striker did not say at all that he wanted to leave the team before his scandalous interview with Piers Morgan.
The “Red Devils” are in a preparatory camp in Spain, and the head coach released an hour-long interview in which he touched on the topic with the Portuguese star.
“In the summer we spoke once. He came in and said, ‘I’ll tell you if I want to leave in seven days.’ Then he came back and told me he wanted to stay. By the time the interview came up, I I didn’t know anything. He never told me that he wanted to leave the team,” Ten Haag said.
“As a club we couldn’t accept that interview. He knew what was going to happen. I watched a lot of it, not all of it. I think it was clear after that that he was going to leave the team. There was no need to even discuss it. It was clear. The club can to move forward only if we are all on the same side and support each other”, added the specialist.
🚨🎙️| Erik ten Hag on Cristiano Ronaldo: “I think it was quite clear after [the interview] that he had to leave. I think we didn’t have to discuss it. It was quite clear. Richard [Arnold]John [Murtough]me.”
— Utd Xtra (@UtdXtra2) December 9, 2022
The Dutch coach was asked if he was willing to forgive Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Why not? I’m ready to talk. So far I’ve been honest and open with him, I’ve shared my goals with him. I had no problem talking to him. I wanted him to stay, but after the interview there was no way it was going to happen. We wanted him to be part of the Manchester project United because he is an amazing footballer.
🚨🎙️| Erik ten Hag: “I wanted him [Cristiano Ronaldo] to stay from the first moment until now. He wanted to leave, it was quite clear. And when a player definitely doesn’t want to be in this club then he has to go, clear.”
— Utd Xtra (@UtdXtra2) December 9, 2022
Ten Haag shared that the situation surrounding Ronaldo has not affected the rest of Manchester United’s players badly.
“I know that the problems surrounding Ronaldo distract the whole world, but in the dressing room there is no such thing. We are going in the right direction”
