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Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted he regrets not joining Tottenham Hotspur last month, but claimed his three-day suspension was too harsh.
Ronaldo has made headlines this past week following the release of his bombshell interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV.
During the controversial sit-down with Morgan, Ronaldo criticized the current state of the club and heavily criticized Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag and former teammates including Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney, while also tearing up at the youngster’s attitude players at the club.
And in the second part of the interview that aired on Thursday night, Ronaldo reflected on his highly controversial decision to refuse to come on as a substitute against Spurs and then walk through the tunnel before the final whistle.
Cristiano Ronaldo stormed through the tunnel after being an unused substitute against Tottenham Hotspur
He was subsequently suspended by the club for three days – something Ronaldo found harsh
“Piers, I’ll be honest with you, it’s something I regret having to leave the stadium,” said Ronaldo.
‘Probably, or maybe not, I don’t know. It’s hard to tell you 100%, but let’s just say I regret it, but in the same way I felt provoked by the coach.
Not allowed for me, a coach to put me in a game in three minutes. Sorry, I’m not much of a player. I know what I can give teams.’
Following the incident, Ronaldo was suspended by the club for three days and left out of the squad due to their 1–1 draw against Chelsea.
Ten Hag then re-integrated the Portuguese star, with Ronaldo playing the full 90 minutes of their subsequent Premier League matches against West Ham and Aston Villa – where he captained them, while also playing the full 90 minutes of Europa League matches with FC Sheriff. and Real Society.
He then missed Sunday’s 2-1 win over Fulham due to illness on the day news and clips of the amazing interview with Morgan broke.
And despite being reinstated, Ronaldo felt the suspension the club had given him was unfair.
Ronaldo admitted he regretted the incident, but claimed he felt provoked by Erik ten Hag
“I think it was the club’s strategy to react like that,” he explains.
“I was very, very, very, very disappointed with Manchester United’s communication. Honestly, I’ve never had any problems with any club, with any coach.
“And they suspended me (for) three days, which I thought was a lot – and the level of sport, clubs, I felt a lot. It was a pity that…
“I remember coming home and Cristiano saw me and said, ‘Daddy aren’t (you) going to the game?’ I say “No, because the club penalizes me with three days”.
And he loved *laughs* “How are they going to punish you if you’re the best player in the world and you’re not going to play?” I said “No I’m not going to play because I haven’t behaved”. And he looked at me like, ‘My dad isn’t acting up, what?’
Ronaldo also claimed he was angry at United’s portrayal of him to the media and believed his record as a player meant he deserved more than being used for the final stages of the 2-0 win.
He said, “On the one hand, I was good because I was more relaxed, but in the same way, I feel very disappointed because, okay, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m not perfect, I made a mistake.
‘But suspend me for three days, I think it’s too much for that. And then they make fire for the press, which really disappoints me.
The Portuguese star also thought that Ten Hag has not shown him enough respect this season
Ronaldo lashed out at the United boss in the second part of his explosive interview with Piers Morgan
“Don’t tell me the top players, the guys who want it all, play the main characters for three minutes.
“Come on, this is unacceptable after what they keep saying, that they respect me, that they do this, do that. For me it wasn’t respect, that’s why I’m making this decision that I regret.
“I apologized to my teammates for the situation, I posted, an Instagram, I’m sorry I left the stadium. I’m sorry my teammates knew what I felt, and I apologized to them, but in the same way, I don’t regret making the decision not to show up…
“The coach had no respect for me. So this is why the relationship, it’s that way. He keeps saying in the press that he’s coming to me, he likes me blah, blah, blah, but that’s just for the press. 100 percent.’
He added, “If you don’t respect me, I’ll never respect you.”
In the interview, Ronaldo also continued to lie to Ten Hag, claiming he said different things to him and the press, while also insisting that he is not a fan of the Dutchman.
“The feeling that he always told me that I didn’t need the pre-season, so I had to wait for my chance.
“I really understand that you have to, well, okay, I understand. But I’m not going to give you points, but you don’t do it the same way for every player. I’m not going to name any players, but they don’t do it the same way.
“Secondly, I understand that for the past five years, things have been so bad for Manchester getting a new job that they would have to clean the house, let’s say that way.
“But the way they’re approaching, the way the press is making this big is because… the communication probably wasn’t the best.
Ten Hag reintegrated Ronaldo into the squad, but still said he was not a fan of the United boss
Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes of their subsequent Premier League fixtures against West Ham and Aston Villa – even being installed as captain against the Villans
“But I really get it at the beginning because I haven’t done pre-season, I’m not starting to play, but going beyond that, beyond that. Other things happen to people they don’t know.
‘And I do not hide that the empathy with the coach is not good. I’m honest.’
“He doesn’t respect the way I should earn. But it is what it is. This is probably why I left the game against Tottenham.’
The United striker also addressed the controversy when it was revealed he had left at half-time during a pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano.
And again, the Portuguese captain believed he had been treated roughly and made into a “black sheep”.
Ronaldo explained: “Me and 8 players, but they just called my name…everyone does that…
Many players did the same last year. In that game, eight players do the same, but they only talk about the black sheep and that’s me, that is, I completely understand, okay, it’s over, I apologize to the coach and the chapter was closed for me.’
The fallout at Old Trafford since the release of the interview has been huge, with Sportsmail’s Chris Wheeler exclusively revealing on Monday that United are exploring ways to sack Ronaldo after the first clips emerged of his explosive sit-down with Piers Morgan.
Ronaldo said Ten Hag treated him differently than how he talked about him in the media
The club is waiting for Cristiano Ronaldo’s full interview to be broadcast before making a decision on his future, but there is a feeling within the club that this situation is much more serious than his previous offenses.
United’s lawyers are carefully studying Ronaldo’s comments to determine whether they constitute a breach of contract, but will not decide on their next move until they have seen the entire interview.
But Sportsmail understands that the club believes that this time it will not be enough to fine Ronaldo and apologize to the rowdy star for his actions.
Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford is seen as the least likely scenario and his United teammates are hoping he will be gone before the end of the World Cup.
They believe he has burned all his bridges with the side after his inflammatory comments and feel it would be better if United found a way to relieve Ronaldo while he is at the World Cup with Portugal.
The club also took down a giant mural of Ronaldo at Old Trafford on Wednesday, just hours before his super interview with Piers Morgan was due to air.
Workers were seen tearing down the mural of United’s famous number 7 – which included Ronaldo, David Beckham, Bryan Robson and Lionesses star Ella Toone – which dominated the front of Old Trafford.
Raphael Varane was the first United player to talk about Ronaldo on Wednesday, saying: “Obviously it affects us. We follow what is happening. We try to calm the situation down in our own way and not get too involved.
“When it’s a star like Cristiano, we try to distance ourselves even more, that is, we don’t just try to change the situation, we are part of a collective.
“What I want is the best for my team, so whatever decision the club makes, we will accept it.”
Watch Piers Morgan Uncensored: 90 Minutes with Ronaldo at https://watch.talk.tv/ or www.youtube.com/piersmorganuncensored