Ronaldo breaks silence after being dropped by Man Utd
Suraj Radia
- 20 Oct 2022 21:52 BST
- 3 min read
Cristiano Ronaldo has released a statement after being dropped from the Manchester United first team and ordered to train alone following his refusal to come on as a substitute against Tottenham.
Ronaldo walked out of Old Trafford during United’s 2-0 win and it was revealed that the 37-year-old refused Erik ten Hag’s instructions to come on as a late substitute.
Ten Hag confirmed he would ‘deal’ with the situation and United confirmed that Ronaldo would miss his side’s next game against Chelsea and he is expected to train away from the first-team until then.
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The decision was believed to be Ten Hag’s and United are also reportedly considering terminating Ronaldo’s contract or allowing him to leave for free in January.
Posting on Instagram, Ronaldo failed to mention the incident or his manager directly and claimed that ‘sometimes the heat of the moment gets the best of us.’
“As I’ve always done throughout my career, I try to live and play respectfully towards my colleagues, my adversaries and my coaches,” Ronaldo wrote.
“I’ve always tried to set the example myself for the youngsters that grew in all the teams that I’ve represented. Unfortunately that’s not always possible and sometimes the heat of the moment get’s the best of us.
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Ronaldo: ‘Soon we’ll be together again’
Ronaldo also insisted he would ‘support his teammates’ and hinted that he would return to the first-team soon to ‘be ready for everything in any given game.’
“Right now, I just feel that I have to keep working hard in Carrington, support my teammates and be ready for everything in any given game. Giving in to the pressure is not an option. It never was. This is Manchester United, and united we must stand. Soon we’ll be together again.”
United had earlier released a statement outlining their action but also insisted that Ronaldo would remain an important part of the first-team squad, implying that he may still have a future at the club.
The club said: "Cristiano Ronaldo will not be part of the Manchester United squad for this Saturday’s game against Chelsea. The rest of the squad is fully focused on preparing for that fixture.”
