Manchester United have confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo will not play in the weekend match against Chelsea, after his refusal to be included in the game at the end of the challenge against Tottenham Hotspur.
The Portuguese superstar has issued a statement in reaction to the news that he has been ruled out of the Red Devils’ trip to Old Trafford.
The 37-year-old left the field in the last minutes of the match, going to the dressing room, while coach Erik ten Hag and the club have decided to punish him by leaving him out of the team for the challenge against the Blues.
“As I have always done throughout my career, I try to live and play with respect for my colleagues, opponents and coaches. This has not changed. I haven’t changed. I am the same person and the same professional that I have been for the last 20 years playing elite football and respect has always played a very important role in my decision-making process.”
“I started very young, the examples of older and more experienced players were always very important to me. Therefore, later on, I always tried to set an example for the youngsters who grew up in all the teams I represented. Unfortunately, this is not always possible and sometimes the heat of the moment gets the best of us.”
“Right now, I just feel like I have to keep working hard at Carrington, support my teammates and be ready for everything in any given game. Giving in to pressure is not an option. It never was. This is Manchester United and we must stand together. Soon we will be together again”, he wrote in Ronaldo’s statement.
The relationship between the Portuguese and coach Ten Hag seems to have been damaged a lot and after this action of the club, it may be irreparable.