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Manchester United have officially announced that Cristiano Ronaldo will leave the club immediately by mutual agreement.
The Portuguese forward was in the news following his controversial interview with Piers Morgan last week. He hit out at the club and manager Erik ten Hag, claiming they betrayed and disrespected him in the summer and this season.
There has been speculation about his future since the interview and United have officially announced his contract termination today (November 22). In a statement on its website, the club wrote:
"Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect. The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford, scoring 145 goals in 346 appearances, and wishes him and his family well for the future."
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He added:
"Everyone at Manchester United remains focused on continuing the team’s progress under Erik ten Hag and working together to deliver success on the pitch."
Ronaldo re-joined the Red Devils in the summer of 2021 from Juventus. He became the club's top scorer last season, scoring 24 goals in 38 matches across competitions.
However, speculation around his future began in the summer after he missed the entire preseason tour with the club. He featured in just one half of one preseason game against Rayo Vallecano.
Ten Hag has used Ronaldo as a substitute this season and the striker has registered just three goals and two assists across competitions.
Cristiano Ronaldo said he doesn't respect Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag
Many fans and pundits supported his statements about the lack of progress at Manchester United. However, they were taken aback by the Portugal captain's disrespect towards manager Ten Hag.
The former Real Madrid man claimed that he didn't respect the Dutchman as he didn't respect him either, as he said:
“I don’t have respect for him because he doesn’t show respect for me. If you don’t have respect for me, I’m never gonna have respect for you.”
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is currently with Portugal hoping to lead them to glory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. They will begin their campaign against Ghana on November 24.
