Cristiano Ronaldo has broken his silence after it emerged he refused to come on as a substitute against Tottenham Hotspur.
Ronaldo overshadowed Manchester United’s impressive 2-0 win by heading down the tunnel and leaving Old Trafford prior to the full-time whistle blowing on Wednesday night.
It then came to the light that Ronaldo had refused to come on, with United reacting by banishing the five-time Ballon d’Or winner from first-team proceedings ahead of the trip to Chelsea this weekend.
“As I’ve always done throughout my career, I try to live and play respectfully towards my colleagues, my adversaries and my coaches,” Ronaldo wrote.
“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 get’s 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.”
The decision to make Ronaldo train alone is said to have been a direct call by Erik ten Hag, but with the backing of United.
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