Manchester United are reportedly confident that they have cause to sack Cristiano Ronaldo following the attacker’s controversial interview with Piers Morgan.
The TalkTV interview was made public on Sunday, with the full conversation airing on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, with Ronaldo being highly critical of his employers.
The club’s owners, the Glazer family, were criticized, and Ronaldo stated during the discussion with Morgan that he “does not have respect” for current head coach Erik ten Hag.
During the interview, Ronaldo stated that he did not know whether he would return to Old Trafford after representing Portugal at the 2022 World Cup.
However, according to The Mirror, the 37-year-old will not play for the club again, as Man United has begun the process of dismissing him.
According to the report, Man United believe they have grounds to terminate the forward’s contract for breach of contract, which will cost him around £16m, with his current terms set to expire in next June.
Ronaldo’s representatives are expected to file a lawsuit in response, but the club are said to be confident that they will be able to terminate the contract without having to pay him off.
Ten Hag is said to have told senior club officials that he does not want Ronaldo back, and the majority of the forward’s teammates are also eager to see him go.
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Man United issued a statement on Friday morning stating that they were ‘initiating appropriate steps’ in response to the interview, which rocked the football world.
“Manchester United has this morning initiated appropriate steps in response to Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent media interview. We will not be making further comment until this process reaches its conclusion,” said the club.
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