As punishment for leaving the game early against Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag has dropped Cristiano Ronaldo from the team when they face Chelsea on Saturday.
ESPN reported that ten Hag made the decision after Ronaldo left Old Trafford during 2-0 win against Spurs on Wednesday.
Ronaldo decided to leave the bench and head down the tunnel before the referee blew the final whistle. When asked about the incident, Erik ten Hag said he wanted to focus on the performance of his squad. But he added that he will “deal” with Ronaldo later.
A club statement issued on Thursday read: “Cristiano will not be part of the Manchester United squad for this Saturday’s game against Chelsea. The rest of the squad is fully focused on preparing for that fixture.”
Cristiano Ronaldo addressed the situation
In light of the recent event, Ronaldo has finally addressed on the situation. An entry on the striker’s Facebook reads:
“As I’ve always done throughout my career, I try to live and play respectfully towards my colleagues, my adversaries and my coaches. That hasn’t changed. I haven’t changed. I’m the same person and the same professional that I’ve 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 older and most experienced players examples were always very important to me. Therefore, later on, I’ve always tried to set the example myself for the youngsters that grew in all the teams that I’ve represented. Unfortunately that’s not always possible and sometimes the heat of the moment gets the best of us.”
“Right now, I just feel that I have to keep working hard in Carrington, support my teammates and be ready for everything in any given game. Giving in to the pressure is not an option. It never was. This is Manchester United, and united we must stand. Soon we’ll be together again.”