Football News: Cristiano Ronaldo's unhappy second spell at Manchester United ends - what's next for the superstar?
When the club confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from Manchester United on Tuesday (November 22), there was no sense of surprise. No shock, and even no regret
"Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect,"There was, however, a sense of putting things right – of moving on from a situation that had become untenable for both club and player.
But perhaps the most telling part of United's statement confirming his departure was the final line, where they spoke about backing their new manager Erik ten Hag.
"Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect," read the statement.
"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.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect.<br><br>The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MUFC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MUFC</a></p>— Manchester United (@ManUtd) <a href="https://twitter.com/ManUtd/status/1595107357159297029?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
"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."
There's a clear message being sent here – that disrespect to the club and manager will not be tolerated and that the board are all aboard the Ten Hag train.
The Dutchman had twice reprimanded Ronaldo and relegated him to the role of a super sub, with the club not putting any pressure on him to play a man who commercially still brings a lot to the table – even if his output has declined a tad.
The club stood by Ten Hag through all that, and they continued to stand by him when Ronaldo didn't just burn bridges but reduced them to cinders during that interview with Piers Morgan.
Looking back, it is easy to see that this was Ronaldo's way out. By terminating his contract, he can now move to another club on a free transfer whenever he desires.
But the real question is – who exactly will want him? Ronaldo might still guarantee you plenty of goals, but he brings a lot of off-field drama. Both United and Juventus fans can attest to that.
It is also worth noting that, in the summer, Ronaldo was free to leave United as the club realized they would be better off getting rid of him.
But there were no takers for the aging superstar. Chelsea, Napoli, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich were all linked to him. And all of them chose not to follow up on the initial interest.
Will that change now that Ronaldo is available for free? Or will he have an excellent World Cup and change the minds of a few doubting executives?
Both are possibilities that cannot be ruled out. However, after Ronaldo's latest histrionics off the field, it is worth noting that clubs should be careful about how they deal with the player.
That he can still be of value on the field to any club in the world is without question. But whether or not that on-field value will be worth the off-field drama is the real question that most, if not all, will now be pondering.