Cristiano Ronaldo gave a bombshell interview criticising Manchester United and Erik ten Hag; Ronaldo also said of former team-mates Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney: "They are not my friends, they are colleagues. We played together but we're not having dinner together"
Sky Sports' Gary Neville says there is "no way back" for Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United after his explosive criticism of the club and manager Erik ten Hag, but insists he is not against his former team-mate.
Neville, who was himself criticised by Ronaldo during his interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV, has told Sky Sports he cannot see the Portugal forward playing for the club again.
"No, and l don't think he wants a way back," Neville said. "He wouldn't have done this interview if he wanted a way back. He knew it would bring the headlines it has and be the end of his Manchester United career."
Manchester United have not yet indicated what action they make take following Ronaldo's interview.
"I'm wondering what Man Utd are doing because the reality of it is they know they have to terminate Cristiano's contract or they basically open up a precedent so any player can criticise them in the future," added Neville.
"I agree with some of the things Cristiano has said and many Man Utd fans will agree with many things Cristiano has said but the reality is if you're an employee within a business and say those things your employment has to terminate and Man Utd have to do that in the next few days.
"Cristiano probably wants that as well but it didn't need to end like that. They could have come together a couple of weeks ago and navigated a pathway through what could have potentially been choppy seas to the shore but it's not happened, they've both basically backed themselves into a corner."
Responding to criticism from Neville and Wayne Rooney this season, Ronaldo told Morgan his former team-mates "are not my friends" and "would not be having dinner together".
Asked for his thoughts and whether he was against Ronaldo, Neville replied: "It's not true, what he said, but all's fair in love and war.
"I live in the game of criticism and know I have to accept it, and I get plenty of it back. I love all my team-mates I played with, including Cristiano.
"I'm not against Ronaldo - far from it. I couldn't have any more admiration for him, I couldn't have any more respect for him. He's the greatest player I've ever seen and he's the most talented player I ever played with.
"I saw Cristiano's comments and I accept criticism. I would still shake Cristiano's hand - he may not shake mine! But I don't carry things forward."
Exits don't have to happen this way'
Ronaldo, who rejoined United in August 2021 and finished as their top scorer in all competitions last season with 24 goals, asked to leave the club in the summer.
But he remained at Old Trafford ahead of the 2022/23 campaign and told Morgan he felt "betrayed" by United for trying to force him out this term.
Neville said: "There was probably another way to do it but that was from the club's side and Cristiano's side.
"When I had that debate in the studio after the Chelsea game three or four weeks ago with Roy Keane, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Dave Jones, I urged Man Utd and Cristiano to come together that week because it was obvious the relationship was failing or had failed and to navigate a pathway to January or the World Cup where they created a truce. Exits don't have to happen this way if both sides are proactive and mature. I'm disappointed that meeting doesn't seem to have happened.
Cristiano hasn't been controlled or managed, it doesn't look like he's reached out to the club and opened communication lines. We've ended up with this quite unsavoury situation whereby it looks like Cristiano is going to end this period of his reign at Man Utd in not a great a feeling as it should be.
"He's one of the greatest players ever to play the game in the world and certainly one of Man Utd's greatest ever players.
"As a fan it doesn't feel right that someone I played with needs to leave the club in this way, or the club need to end it this way."
Copid from Sky Sports
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