21 November 2023 , 09:24
495
0
Cristiano Ronaldo saw his contract terminated by Manchester United just one day after claiming he was "completely bulletproof".
Ronaldo's second spell at Old Trafford ended in acrimonious fashion after he conducted an explosive with Piers Morgan, stating that he felt "betrayed" by United and did not respect manager Erik ten Hag.
The forward then went off to the World Cup with Portugal and made a surprise media appearance ahead of the opening group game against Ghana where he insisted he was "iron-clad" and that the fallout from his interview with Morgan would not be a distraction during the tournament.
"The atmosphere is excellent, no problems, we are completely focused," Ronaldo said, with Portugal's squad also including United stars Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot. "You can help by not talking about me.
"I'm completely bulletproof and iron-clad. If you ask other players about Cristiano Ronaldo I would be upset. If you want to ask him about the World Cup and the team, I would like you to do that.
Marcel Sabitzer completes Man Utd transfer after last-minute deadline day dash
"If I had to prove something at 37 years and eight months old, I would be worried. After what I have already done and won in my career, that would be a surprise for me.
"Of course I have to demonstrate what I am year after year and everyone has opinions about me. In my life, the best timing is always my timing. I don't have to think about what other people think.
Cristiano Ronaldo spoke passionately, just a day before his Man Utd contract was terminated (Getty Images)"I speak when I want. The players know me really well for many years and know the type of person I am. It's an ambitious group that is hungry and focused. So I'm sure it [the interview] won't shake the changing room's concentration and focus."
However, United announced the very next day that Ronaldo's contract had been terminated by mutual consent. Portugal ended up reaching the World Cup quarter-finals, where they suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Morocco.
Ronaldo also came in for criticism from his own manager Fernando Santos over his angry reaction to being substituted in Portugal's final group game against South Korea. He was subsequently dropped from the starting line-up for Portugal's knockout games against Switzerland and Morocco.
Following the end of the tournament, he would kickstart the Saudi Pro League attracting some of the biggest names to the country. He joined Al-Nassr, opening the floodgates for a host of high-profile stars to join him in the Gulf State.