Man Utd didn’t believe my baby daughter was in hospital when I missed pre-season training – it really hurt, says Ronaldo
CRISTIANO Ronaldo has accused Man Utd bosses of doubting why he missed pre-season training when his baby daughter was in hospital.
The striker, 37, said it really hurt him and insisted it was not fair to leave his family for football.
Ronaldo told Piers Morgan in an explosive interview: “I spoke with the directors and president of Manchester United and they kind of didn’t believe that something was going wrong which made me feel bad.
“They believed it but it’s something that really hurt me because they doubted my words.
“We had one week in hospital because Bella had big problems and I didn’t go to the pre-season because of that.
“Because I wasn’t going to leave my family if something happened to do a pre-season because I didn’t think it was fair to leave my family.
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“This is why I didn’t go.”
Ronaldo missed the pre-season tour earlier this year at a time when he was rumoured to be wanting to leave the club.
Watch ‘Piers Morgan Uncensored: 90 Minutes with Ronaldo’, Wednesday and Thursday, 8pm on TalkTV. Find TalkTV on Sky 526, Virgin Media 606, Freeview 237, Freesat 217 and Sky Glass 508, live and on demand on the TalkTV app, streaming services and at TalkTV.
Bella fell ill around three months after she was born.
Proud family man Ronaldo revealed the heart-breaking news in April that one of his twin babies had died.
He said at the time his newborn daughter with partner Georgina was “giving us the strength to live” among their “deepest sadness”.
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In his sensational interview with TalkTV, he also accused former teammate Gary Neville of criticising him to get more fame, declaring the TV pundit is no friend of his.
The Portuguese superstar added: “We’re not ever having dinner together.”
He explained why he blanked Neville live on TV at the end of last month after the ex-Red Devils skipper accused him of being unable to accept no longer being the star man.
Ronaldo responded: “To listen as ex-colleagues or team-mates criticise you, when they only see one point of view. It’s easy.
“It’s easy to criticise, I don’t know if you have a job in television that they must criticise to be more famous. I really don’t understand it.
“It’s hard when you see people who was in the dressing room with you criticising that way.”
He also slammed Manchester United’s controversial US owners the Glazer family, saying: “They don’t care about the club.”
He revealed he has never exchanged a single word with any of the family since his return to the club, despite being one of the world’s biggest soccer stars.
And he accused them of being more interested in United being a “marketing club” rather than a football club so they can pocket more cash.
‘No way back’
It comes after we revealed yesterday Ronaldo felt “betrayed” by the club.
He delivered a damning assessment of the Red Devils and revealed he has no respect for boss Erik ten Hag.
The bombshell interview sparked fury at Man U, and bosses are ready to rip up his contract following the brutal criticism.
And close pal Rio Ferdinand claims that is exactly what the Portugal superstar wants.
Three Lions legend Rio, a former team-mate of Ronaldo, said: “The love affair with United is finished. The book has been closed.
“He’s snookered the club and put them into a position where there’s no way back.
“Whether anyone at the club wanted to keep Cristiano . . . they can’t now after what he said.
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“Up to this interview I would defend him and say the club have a big responsibility to communicate better. How are the club going to allow Ronaldo to come back and undermine their current manager? They can’t.
“I don’t feel there is any way back, I don’t feel the club will take him back and I don’t think he wants to come back.”
