Fans of Cristiano Ronaldo have claimed that the Portuguese legend was disrespected after being left on the bench for Manchester United’s clash against Tottenham Hotspur.
United produced a brilliant performance as goals from Fred and Bruno Fernandes secured a 2-0 win over Antonio Conte’s side.
However, it was Ronaldo who stole the headlines as his antics towards the end of the match have resulted in the five-time Ballon d’Or winner receiving criticism from both fans and pundits.
With a few minutes remaining, Ronaldo was seen walking down the tunnel, which was branded as unprofessional and unacceptable by many former players and pundits. According to The Athletic's Laurie Whitwell, Ronaldo left the stadium before the final whistle sounded.
However, fans of Ronaldo have quickly leapt to their hero’s defence, claiming that he was disrespected by United and was right to walk away.
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One fan said: “Ten Hag really told Cristiano Ronaldo to warm up and ended up leaving him on the bench. If this is not disrespect, I don't even know what it is anymore.”
Another tweeted: “Cristiano Ronaldo being disrespected proves that loyalty doesn’t exist anymore in football. Can’t believe he really chose United over City.”
A third fan added: “Ten Hag before the game said Ronaldo will play and then he goes on to give him 0 minutes and disrespects him by bringing Elanga on before him. Ronaldo absolutely did the right thing. He should have walked down the tunnel way before.”
After the match, Erik ten Hag was questioned about Ronaldo, but the Red Devils boss refused to speak too much about the matter.
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He said: “I don't pay attention to that, I will deal with that tomorrow. I want to keep the focus on the team.”
Former England defender Danny Mills blasted Ronaldo on Sky Sports. He said: “That's disrespectful to the team, the manager and the fans.
“They are winning 2-0 - what complaint can he have? If they were losing 2-0, it wouldn't be right, but I would sort of understand it.
“He clearly thinks he's bigger than the football club... It's a selfish act after not being involved.”
As a result of this latest incident, talks will for sure resume regarding Ronaldo's future at the club. It was reported in the summer that he wanted to leave but United were unwilling to sell. With the January transfer window a few months away, will Ronaldo finally get his wish and move to a Champions League club? Only time will tell.
Topics: Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo, Erik Ten Hag
Marcus Chan