‘How he attacked the club…’: Rooney reacts after Ronaldo’s departure from Man United amid FIFA World Cup

Former England captain Wayne Rooney was not surprised to see Manchester United showing Cristiano Ronaldo the exit door after the Portugal captain launched an all-out attack on the bigwigs of the Red Devils in an explosive interview before the FIFA World Cup 2022. One of the most decorated players in the history of the beautiful game, Ronaldo will not return to Old Trafford after Portugal’s campaign at the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. Manchester United and Ronaldo parted ways with immediate effect on Tuesday.

After making sporadic appearances for the Red Devils in the 2022-2023 season, the 37-year-old appeared for an interview and called out Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag. Feeling ‘betrayed’ by Manchester United, Ronaldo said that he has no respect for the Red Devils manager. The former Real Madrid and Juventus also hit back at former teammates Rooney and Garry Neville during the bombshell interview with Piers Morgan.

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Taking cognisance of Ronaldo’s sensational remarks about the luminaries of the club, Manchester United released an official statement on Tuesday to confirm the unceremonious exit of the talismanic forward before the end of the ongoing season. Sharing his first reaction after Ronaldo and Man United parted ways, former England forward Rooney opined that the Premier League club was left with no option but to terminate the contract of the Portuguese stalwart after the interview fallout.

“It’s sad. Once he had done the interview and how he had attacked the club, there was no option. I think there was no option. It’s a shame because he has been a servant to Manchester United. He’s obviously still a very good player. I think he is not the player now that he was at 23. It’s probably the best thing… for Cristiano now, the sole purpose will be to focus on the World Cup,” Rooney told Sports 18.

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After leaving Manchester United ahead of the winter transfer window, Ronaldo has become a free agent and the Portugal captain can sign with any club next year. Nicknamed CR7, the Portugal captain rejoined Man United from Serie A giants Juventus in 2021. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner scored 145 goals in 346 appearances for the Red Devils.