The first segment of Cristiano Ronaldo’s contentious interview with Piers Morgan aired on Wednesday night.
Here are a few specifics.
Ronaldo: Man City move was close
Even though negotiations for his transfer to Manchester City appear to be pretty far along, Ronaldo has stated that Sir Alex Ferguson prevented him from doing so.
“Honest to God, it was close… However, as you know from your familiarity with Manchester United, the difference is made by how these two make you feel in your heart. Naturally, Sir Alex Ferguson is also included.”
“The connection with Ferguson was essential. In that instant, it made a difference, but even if I wanted to, I couldn’t be faithful.”
“Not that Manchester City wasn’t close. But I made a deliberate choice. At no point do I regret doing it. Additionally, Sir Alex Ferguson was crucial, as you just indicated.”
"Sir Alex Ferguson was the key…
"He said to me that 'it's impossible for you to come to Manchester City'."
Watch live: https://t.co/MmPz7ALHHl@cristiano | @piersmorgan | @TalkTV | #90MinutesWithRonaldo | #PMU pic.twitter.com/b5cg1xFAgj
— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) November 16, 2022
Ronaldo’s thoughts on Man United’s return
When asked about Man United return, he said.”Piers, when I signed with Manchester United, I assumed everything had changed since it had been 13 years since I had been with Real Madrid and three years at Juventus.”
“And when I got there, I assumed everything would be different—the infrastructure, the technology, everything. However, I was unpleasantly astonished to see that everything was the same, if you would pardon the pun.”
“And Manchester, it wasn’t then that Ole was fired, as you mentioned. Michael Carrick took over for two games, Chelsea and Villarreal. The instability in the club surprised me a lot despite how quickly everything happened.”
“In my judgment, there was no progress at United. I was amazed by the technology, particularly regarding training, nutrition, and circumstances of eating properly and recovering better than previously.”
“Compared to Real Madrid and Juventus, they follow the rest of the globe. I was startled to find that, from my perspective, Manchester is currently behind that team when compared.”
“A club of this size ought to be at the top of the tree, but they are not, sadly. They don’t belong at that level. But I hope they can achieve the highest level in the upcoming years.”
Cristiano Ronaldo: “Manchester Utd made zero progress. Real Madrid and Juventus followed recent technologies, infrastructures”. ?? #MUFC
“They always tried to progress even in terms of training, nutrition & how to recover from games. Man United is behind clubs like those”. pic.twitter.com/laqxOopZu6
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 16, 2022
Ronaldo is unhappy to see Solskjaer sacked & replaced with clueless Rangnick
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may not have been the best candidate for the United manager’s position. Still, it appears Ronaldo had a lot of affection for him. Ralf Rangnick, however, was not that way at all.
“I adore Solskjaer, of course. Ole is a top person since what I hold close to my heart is the individual’s heart.”
“Naturally, it wasn’t because it didn’t search for what he wanted. It’s challenging. It is challenging to make assumptions after Sir Alex Ferguson. Still, I’m confident he did a good job.”
“You require a lot more time. However, I have no doubts about his ability to coach in the future. It was a positive encounter. I was really happy to collaborate with him, even for a brief time.”
“But rather than a sports director, you ought to replace Ole Solskjaer with a good manager. We have an intriguing point about how Manchester United hired sports director Ralf Rangnick after firing Ole, which no one seems to comprehend.”
“He’s not even a coach, this man. It startled me and the entire world that a larger club like Manchester United would hire a sports director.”
Cristiano Ronaldo again on Rangnick: “When you sack Ole Gunnar Solskjær, you should bring a top manager, not a sports director…”, tells Piers Morgan. ?? #MUFC @utdreport
“I love Solskjær – I never saw Rangnick as the boss because I saw some points that I never agreed”. pic.twitter.com/TutDD3Bpe7
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 16, 2022
Ronaldo hails the professionalism of three United players
Ronaldo picked out Diogo Dalot, Casemiro, and Lisandro Martinez for admiration. He said: “If you ask me what I see in Manchester United, I can mention Dalot. Although he is young, he is incredibly professional.”
“And because he’s young, intelligent, and professional, I believe he’ll have a long career in football.”
“You have a few more, but like him, it’s hard to name them. I’d call [Lisandro] Martinez and Casemiro, who is in his 30s, but I’ll go with Dalot.”
Ronaldo on modern-day young footballers
“I don’t think experienced players are disrespected; that’s not the right phrase, but it’s a different generation,” Ronaldo said.
“There is no hunger, and life is far too simple for them. They won’t endure any pain.”
“All leagues worldwide, including the most recent ones, differ from my generation. But since it’s a fact of life, we can’t hold it against them.”
“The newest generation and new technologies divert their attention to other things, thus… They are not, however, the same.”
“They pay attention, but we have two ears because when you listen from one side, they turn away from the other.”
Cristiano Ronaldo tells Piers Morgan that younger football players have the wrong attitude and "don't care."
"Everything is easy, they don't suffer."
Watch live: https://t.co/MmPz7ALHHl@cristiano | @piersmorgan | #90MinutesWithRonaldo | #PMU pic.twitter.com/Wqps5EnRmT
— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) November 16, 2022
Ronaldo on the criticism he receives
Morgan questioned Ronaldo about his opinions on the media and whether he keeps up with what is published and said about him.
The 37-year-old responded negatively, claiming that the press had unfairly attacked his captivating persona and his family and that he was not a huge fan of them.
“The press all over the world, even the Portuguese press, criticize me a lot. I think it’s envious,” he said to Morgan.
“I dislike reading because 90% of what I read is false. It’s garbage. They keep lying, and they try to make me feel bad.”
“People only attempt to bring negative things. And over the past four or five months, I’ve noticed that the press has criticized me even more.”
“Sometimes for reasons that I can’t always fathom, not just for me but also for my family and Georgina, especially throughout the world. Even the Portuguese press frequently criticizes me, which baffles me.”
