An explosive interview between Manchester United outcast Cristiano Ronaldo and infamous journalist Piers Morgan is soon to be broadcast around the world.
The Portugal international has been at the centre of the off-field drama at Old Trafford, even with the club’s on-field prospects improving under new manager Erik ten Hag.
The Red Devils head into the break for the World Cup fifth in the Premier League, three points off the top four, but after their dramatic 2-1 victory at Fulham on Sunday, it was revealed a tell-all account from Ronaldo will soon be shown to audiences across the globe.
Unfortunately, the interviewer is Piers Morgan.
The 90-minute interview will be shown in two parts; the first on Wednesday November 16 and the second on Thursday November 17, with both starting at 20:00 GMT.
The interview will be available to watch on ‘Piers Morgan Uncensored’, which is on TalkTV. That channel is available on Sky 526, Virgin Media 606, Freeview 237, Freesat 217 and Sky Glass 508.
Mobile and tablet users can stream the shows on the TalkTV app or watch online on their website.
The initial clips of Ronaldo and Morgan’s sit down show the former Real Madrid star has a bit of an axe to grind with United.
We’ll get a wider understanding of whether Ronaldo thinks he has conducted himself professionally in the past few months when the interview goes live, but he has come out swinging at the state of the club since he returned last year.
New manager Erik ten Hag is starting to get a tune out of the United squad but was slandered by Ronaldo, who said: “I don’t have respect for him because he doesn’t show respect for me. If you don’t have respect for me, I’m never gonna have respect for you.”
He also said he felt he is being forced out of the club by senior figures and “betrayed” by their treatment of him.
There isn’t too much sympathy on social media for Ronaldo’s point of view. A lot of onlookers have claimed Ronaldo is a symptom of Man Utd’s decline, while other fans are almost happy the interview has taken place so a potential divorce can be accelerated.
Ronaldo’s off-field antics have detracted from positive United displays this season. Arguably their best performance of the campaign so far came against Tottenham, during which Ronaldo stormed off the bench and towards the tunnel before the full-time whistle had gone.
Others also pointed out the hypocrisy of Ronaldo’s ‘respect’ comment, given Ten Hag gave his the captain’s armband as recently as the 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa.
Piers Morgan is undoubtedly an acquired taste to the wider British population. He has been involved in previous controversies and attracted widespread criticism for his coverage of the Royal Family and particularly Meghan Markle.
Morgan and Ronaldo have a good working relationship, having previously conducted an interview titled ‘Cristiano Ronaldo Meets Piers Morgan’. Morgan had previously criticised Ronaldo for being a “spoilt brat” but since that meeting has fought Ronaldo’s corner.
He has also since criticised Ten Hag for his treatment of the former Juventus forward and even touted a transfer to Arsenal, the club he supports who currently top the Premier League table.
Credit: 90min.com
