‘I talk when I want to’ – Ronaldo responds to explosive interview in which he criticised Man Utd, Ten Hag & Rooney

Portuguese has hit out at Red DevilsQuestions asked of his timingAll-time great offers no apologies

WHAT HAPPENED? The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who has endured a frustrating season of regular bench duty at Manchester United, shocked the world in a series of videos that saw him take aim at the Red Devils board, manager Erik ten Hag and former players such as Wayne Rooney. He appears to have brought his second spell at Old Trafford to a close with the revelations, while questions have been asked of whether the timing of said interview could impact the Portugal squad as they prepare to open another bid for World Cup glory.

WHAT THEY SAID: Ronaldo, who has offered no apologies, has told reporters after making an impromptu appearance at a press conference in Qatar: “Timing is always timing. From your side it is easy to look at how we can chose timings. Sometimes you write truths, sometimes you write lies. I don’t have to worry what others think. I talk when I want to. Everybody knows who I am, what I believe in.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Ronaldo, who has just three goals to his name at club level in the 2022-23 campaign, went on to describe himself as “bullet proof” and “iron clad” before requesting that reporters stop asking him about comments made on the eve of a major international tournament.

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WHAT NEXT? United are still deciding what to do with Ronaldo, with there suggestions that his expiring contract will be torn up, while Portugal will open their 2022 World Cup campaign against Ghana on Thursday.