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Cristiano Ronaldo has accused Manchester United of a lack of ’empathy’ after club officials questioned him when he returned late for the season due to his daughter’s illness.
The Portuguese star, 37, and his partner Georgina Rodriguez, 28, revealed that their son had died giving birth on April 18, but his twin daughter survived.
The couple described his death as ‘the greatest pain’ with tributes pouring in from around the football world, including rival Liverpool supporters singing You’ll Never Walk Alone after a minute of applause, and then.
Ronaldo said he also received a personal message of condolence from the royal family as he grieved, The sun reports.
But he accused his club of a lack of ’empathy’, especially when his three-month-old son was taken to hospital in July.
It caused him to return late to pre-season preparation because he wanted to stay with her.
Ronaldo said club officials made him feel “hurt” and “bad” after explaining the reasoning behind his late return.
Ronaldo said he also received a personal message of condolence from the royal family following the death of his son
But the Portuguese football star has criticized Manchester United in recent months for a lack of ’empathy’
The Portuguese star, 37, and his partner Georgina Rodriguez, 28, revealed their son had died giving birth on April 18
His daughter’s illness came just three months after his son’s tragic death.
Announcing the heartbreaking loss of him and Georgina in April, Cristiano wrote: ‘It is with our deepest sadness that we announce that our baby boy has passed away. It is the greatest pain parents can feel.
‘Only the birth of our girl gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness. We would like to thank the doctors and nurses for all their expert care and support.
“We are all devastated by this loss and we kindly ask for privacy at this very difficult time. Our little boy, you are our angel. We will always love you.’
Ronaldo originally shared the news of Georgina’s pregnancy with fans on social media and admitted that their hearts are full of love.”
“Glad to announce that we are expecting twins. Our hearts are full of love – we can’t wait to meet you,” he wrote in October.
Ronaldo’s post showed that he and Georgina proudly showed the echoes of their twins, along with an image of his four children swimming together.
Georgina shares daughter Alana with Cristiano. The Manchester United star also has son Cristiano Jr and twins Eva and Mateo from surrogate mothers.
Happy family: Georgina shares daughter Alana, three, with Ronaldo, and the Manchester United star also has son Cristiano Jr., 11, and twins Eva and Mateo, four
Devastated: Couple’s statement confirmed their son’s death as ‘the greatest pain’, but said their daughter survived
Ronaldo and Georgina famously met while working as a shop assistant in Madrid, when they looked over the rails at a Gucci store in 2016.
In 2020, she admitted that the chance meeting with Ronaldo “fell in love at first sight.”
It comes as Ronaldo launched an astonishing attack on his club and manager Erik ten Hag that was sure to end his career at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo also accused club officials of trying to force him out of the club because he has no respect for the Dutchman and feels “betrayed”.
“I have no respect for him because he shows no respect for me,” said Ronaldo.
“Some people don’t want me here, not just the coach, but the other two or three guys. Not just this year, but also last year.
“Honestly, I shouldn’t say that. But listen, I don’t care. People should listen to the truth. Yes, I feel betrayed.’
Ronaldo missed United’s final game before the World Cup on Sunday due to illness, but Ten Hag will rejoice that the 37-year-old’s comments will overshadow the 2-1 win over Fulham and Alejandro Garnacho’s stoppage time goal.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was allowed back into the selection after apologies and even became team captain at Aston Villa last week.
However, Ronaldo’s outburst makes it nearly impossible for him to stay at Old Trafford after the January transfer window, leaving United and Ten Hag with little choice but to find him a new club.
His team-mates were reportedly deeply disappointed by his comments on Sunday night and saw it as a way to force his departure from Old Trafford, which they believe is now inevitable.
Ronaldo finished last season as United’s top goalscorer with 24 goals in all competitions, but Manchester United only managed to finish sixth in the Premier League.