Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United’s storm will not subside. Ronaldo’s angry visit to the media personality Piers Morgan in the discussion program has caused irritation in both the club management and fellow players. Ronaldo says that he gave the interview because the supporters need to know the truth about the situation and why it has been driven into.
– The fans are always right and they should know the truth. The players want the best for the team, I want the best for the team, that’s why I came to this team. There are things in the club that do not help the team to reach the top level.
What do the club’s passionate supporters say to this, and is the support still behind the Portuguese?
Longtime supporter of Manchester United, owner of the Helsinki Red Room museum Jere Virtanen considers my follower Cristiano Ronaldo’s statement a selfish act that deeply offends the team’s supporters.
– When you go to “wander” the club about many things with your own opinions for 90 minutes, it’s a turn of events for the club, teammates, manager and fans. Ronaldo presents himself purely as a victim in the interview, which is sad for the fan.
– We are talking about a club legend who has grown up with us and ended up being the best player in the world since then. This is the thanks from the fans’ point of view, after years of hoping that he would come back, Virtanen continues.
According to Virtanen, it is also absurd that the host of the show, Morgan, is a devoted Arsenal supporter.
How did it end up like this?
In an interview, Ronaldo criticized Manchester United’s American owners Glazerswho, in Ronaldo’s opinion, are not interested in the club from a sporting point of view, but only from a marketing point of view.
Virtanen, a long-time supporter of Manchester United, sees that Ronaldo’s criticism of the owners is true and based on the same as everyone else’s.
– The owners have not invested a single pound in the team, which has resulted in the fact that the Stadium and the training center have fallen behind. It’s not a secret, but it’s also not a reason to come out like that, says Virtanen.
According to Virtanen, Ronaldo could have become a great mentor for the team’s youngsters, who would have shown how to focus on every detail and do 10-15 percent more than anyone else. But that never happened.
– Unfortunately, some of the big players have such an attitude that they feel they are more important than the club and the sportsmanship that the Managers want in the team. It is unfortunate when one person grows into such a big personal brand that football success alone is not enough.
Catastrophic timing
On Tuesday, a video of the dressing room of the Portuguese national team preparing for the World Cup went viral on social media, where Ronaldo received another Portuguese player representing Manchester United Bruno Fernandes. Ronaldo shook hands with Fernandes, who forcibly extended his hand, but did not look at Portugal’s number one star at all.
According to Virtanen, the reaction was a strong message from his teammate to Ronaldo. He says he is anxiously waiting to see if Ronaldo’s teammates behave differently during the World Cup.
Ronaldo’s statement about the issue comes at a special time, because the club teams won’t meet for a while. The Premier League is on hiatus due to the World Cup, which starts on Sunday. Portugal will start their match on Thursday next week.
Virtanen believes that Ronaldo and Manchester United have reached the end of their common road, and the contract, which expires next summer, will not be extended.
– Now no one can deal with the matter in a group. Some are playing in the World Cup and some are in the training center. This timing is such that he does not leave himself a chance to apologize or to show by his own actions that he deserves his place in the team. There is no going back from this.
Split in supporters
According to Virtanen, the split in Manchester United supporters is clear.
– The team’s fans have taken the events with great regret. Ronaldo’s personal brand fans defend Ronaldo.
– Of course, Ronaldo has a chance for a second and a third chance, but that requires a public apology, Virtanen continues.
Virtanen states that a person with such a big personal brand, like Ronaldo, could have done all this independently, without an external interviewer. Virtanen considers Ronaldo’s rapture calculated down to the time and the interviewer.
– Although Ronaldo talks that he cares about the team, all his actions show that this is not the case, Manchester United supporter Virtanen sums up.