It was still 5:30 pm (local time), but it was already dark in Al Shahaniya, about 40 km from Doha, when Cristiano Ronaldo stepped onto the lawn of the club where the Portuguese team will train during the World Cup in Qatar.
Most teams chose to carry out the activities in the late afternoon, with the sun going down, to ease the wear and tear of the athletes due to the high temperatures in the country.
The breeze in the region also helped to make the weather more pleasant, even with the thermometer reading 31º C at the beginning of the activity.
At the age of 37, taking care of his physical condition has never been more important for Cristiano Ronaldo, as he is about to compete in his fifth and final World Cup, still dreaming of winning the unprecedented title.
The star is experiencing an unprecedented situation in his career, not knowing where he will play after participating in the biggest competition in football.
On the eve of the tournament, he entered into litigation with his current team, Manchester United, for which he played only 16 of the 21 games in the season, and in six matches he did not even start. So far, only three goals have been scored.
In an interview with the British TV show Piers Morgan Uncensored, he harshly criticized the club and coach Erik ten Hag.
In the conversation, the Portuguese striker accused “some people” of trying to force his departure from United and said he felt betrayed. With the Dutch coach, he was even tougher, saying he doesn’t respect him, because the coach “didn’t show respect” for him.
The strained relationship between them was also evident in some games of the season.
First, against Rayo Vallecano in July in the Europa League, the striker was substituted at half-time and was seen leaving Old Trafford before the final whistle.
More recently, last month, Cristiano Ronaldo refused to enter the field in the final minutes of the game against Tottenham. Ten Hag approached the Portuguese, who made the negative sign with his index finger.
According to the English newspaper Daily Mail, the number 7 burned his connections with the squad with his attitude and, above all, with his statements. Also according to the publication, he would no longer be able to return to the club after the Cup – he has a contract until the end of the season, in July.
Despite being in Qatar with one of its best generations, the Portugal national team has not been able to dodge the controversy involving its biggest star. The Cristiano Ronaldo subject has dominated the Portuguese media and that of other countries and has overshadowed the preparation of Portuguese people.
“This is Cristiano’s question. I’m not a Manchester United player and, even if I were, I wouldn’t answer. Therefore, I’ll only answer questions related to the World Cup,” said midfielder Bernardo Silva this Saturday (19).
The Manchester City athlete was the first Portuguese to talk to the press after the delegation arrived in Qatar and was uncomfortable with the matter.
As he does in the midfield of the team led by Pep Guardiola, he even tried to dribble the issue, but failed. More than half of the questions were about the selection mate.
He would frown and give practically the same answer to every question. “The news coming out of England has nothing to do with the selection.”
The most recent was precisely United’s intention to terminate the number 7 contract, even without having to pay any amount related to the wages he would still have to receive. It’s about 16 million pounds (R$ 102 million).
English lawyers who are reviewing the case independently say the club could seek a unilateral termination because the player would have violated the club’s code of conduct with his words against the team and the coach.
“Most legal commentators agree that United would have the right to terminate Ronaldo’s contract following his recent behaviours, including his provocative interview with Piers Morgan,” said Mike Tremeer, partner at law firm Fladgate.
According to journalist Piers Morgan, presenter of the program that bears his name, the ace had been warned by his staff about the consequences of his statements. Aware of what could happen, Cristiano Ronaldo decided to go ahead anyway.
In a statement, United said it had taken “appropriate steps regarding the recent Cristiano Ronaldo interview” and would not make “further comments until the process is complete.”
English newspapers speculate that the Luso’s intention was precisely to provoke his departure from the team. Since the end of last season he was already dissatisfied, especially because United were out of the Champions League.
The striker, however, was unable to find a top team playing in the European tournament and wanted to make an effort to get him out of England.
In his controversial interview, he said that his youngest daughter, Bella Esmeralda, had a health problem and that he had to stay close to the family. However, United would have doubted the athlete.
“People forget that I am a human being. When I told them, it seems they didn’t believe me, the president [do Manchester United] didn’t believe that my daughter was sick, they doubted my word”, he said.
As a seasoned news journalist, I bring a wealth of experience to the field. I’ve worked with world-renowned news organizations, honing my skills as a writer and reporter. Currently, I write for the sports section at News Bulletin 247, where I bring a unique perspective to every story.
