Cristiano Ronaldo has defended the bombshell interview which has left him facing the sack from Manchester United.
Ronaldo insists he couldn’t care less what people think of him for trashing United in an explosive attack on the English giants, which saw him blast Erik ten Hag and American owners the Glazers.
The fall-out has been huge, with United taking legal action with a view to having Ronaldo’s contract cancelled. United believe Ronaldo has brought the club into disrepute and don’t want him to return to Manchester following the World Cup.
READ MORE: Man Utd say they’ve ‘begun taking action’ after seeing Cristiano Ronaldo’s full interview
But Ronaldo is not bothered about the repercussions – and has made it clear he speaks his mind when he feels like it. Ronaldo, who is preparing for Portugal’s World Cup opener against Ghana on Thursday, said: “Timing is always timing.
“From your side it is easy to look at how we can choose timings. Sometimes you write truths, sometimes you write lies. I don’t have to worry about what others think. I talk when I want to. Everybody knows who I am and what I believe in.”
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner will see £16m in wages slip through his fingers if United are successful in getting his contracted terminated.
(Image: Christopher Lee/Getty Images)
But Ronaldo insists he has nothing left to prove – and asked the media not to pester his international team-mates about him so the squad could focus on the Qatar 2022 instead.
He said: “If I had to demonstrate something at 37 years and 8 months, I would be worried. After what I’ve already done and won, it would be a surprise for me. Of course I have to demonstrate what I am year after year.”
Asked if winning the World Cup with Portugal would settle the debate over whether he or his great rival Lionel Messi is the best player of all-time, Ronaldo said: “No, I don’t see things like that out there.
(Image: PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty Images)
“Even if I won the World Cup, there would always be this debate. Some like me more, some less. It’s like everything in life. It’s normal.”
“Will the World Cup be the most important competition? Yes, one of the most, it’s a dream to win, but if we didn’t win any more trophies I’d be proud.”
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