'I Felt Betrayed': Cristiano Ronaldo Issues Scathing Rebuke Of Manchester United, Erik Ten Hag

Hell hath no fury like Cristiano Ronaldo scorned.

If there’s anyone that can coax an embittered CR7 into spilling the tea about what’s going on at Old Trafford between the four-time Golden Boot winner, club brass, and Dutch manager Erik ten Hag, it’s the often-incendiary talking head Piers Morgan, who did just that on his new show Piers Morgan Uncensored. In a no-holds-barred, explosive interview for the program, Ronaldo delved into the problems behind his shredded relationship with Man United, throwing everyone under the bus while taking little accountability for his role in the continuous devolution of his time with the historic Premier League team over the past two years.

"Since [former Man United manager] Sir Alex left, I saw no evolution in the club,” Ronaldo bluntly stated about his return to Old Trafford. “Nothing had changed. He [Ferguson] knows better than anybody that the club is not on the path they deserve to be. He knows. Everyone knows.”

RELATED: Cristiano Ronaldo's Fractious Relationship With Man United Exacerbated By Early Exit

“The people who don't see that … It's because they don't want to see,” the superstar forward added. “They are blind."

One doesn’t have to stretch the imagination too far to realize Ronaldo’s talking specifically about the Red Devils’ Dutch manager ten Hag, who shifted Ronaldo – one of few current players to accumulate more than 1,100 career appearances – from being a guaranteed starter to a regular bench warmer. Their hostile relationship recently spiraled out of control publicly after ten Hag suspended the agin, yet generational talent for refusing to take the pitch as a last-minute substitute in an October match against the Tottenham Hotspur. With Morgan stirring the pot, Ronaldo didn’t mince words as he unloaded on his manager.

"I don't have respect for him [ten Hag] because he doesn't show respect for me," revealed Ronaldo. "If you don't have respect for me, I'm never [going to] have respect for you."

As Morgan pressed further, squeezing every juicy drop of drama out of the interview, Ronaldo made sure to clarify that, for him, the systemic problems he sees between himself and Manchester United extend much further past his unsalvageable relationship with ten Hag.

"Not only the manager, but the other two or three guys who are around the club [at the senior executive level] – I felt betrayed [by them],” Ronaldo explained, saying he felt as though the club was trying to force him out over the summer. “I don't care, people should listen to the truth.”

“Yes, I felt betrayed,” continued Ronaldo. “I feel that some people didn't want me here, not only this year but last season too."

Last season, the Portuguese forward was one of few bright spots for Man United whose coaching carousel included Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Michael Carrick, and Ralf Rangnick. Despite the managerial turmoil, Ronaldo led the club as its top scorer with 18 goals, but this current season has been a pale impersonation, with the legendary forward scoring just one goal in 10 appearances.

With an exit appearing inevitable at this stage, one potential landing spot for Ronaldo is struggling Chelsea, who were rumored to have discussed him this past summer. The acquisition was ultimately squashed by then manager Thomas Tuchel, who the Blues sacked in September and replaced with Graham Potter. At 37-years-old, CR7 still exudes enough fitness and power to rip blistering goals and propel a top-flight squad to victory, but this latest chaotic spell could prove to have done irreparable damage to his reputation, especially as it pertains to being a selfless and reliable teammate for a club who might’ve otherwise been interested in signing him.

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