Zwhite sentences. Manchester United didn’t need more to deliver a message to the public on Thursday evening, which, due to its brevity, gained in explosiveness rather than lost. 37-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo will not be in the squad for Manchester’s game against Chelsea in London this Saturday. That was the unmistakable message conveyed by sentence one.
The fact that the club made this decision for disciplinary reasons did not have to be mentioned after Ronaldo went into the dressing room shortly before the final whistle in the 2-0 win against Tottenham on Wednesday evening and is said to have even left the stadium afterwards.
Above all, it was the second sentence that showed how things are going in October 2022 for the liaison between the super striker and the world club, which once seemed made for each other: “The rest of the team is fully focused on preparing for this game”, was there – a statement that not only expressed that, despite all the hustle and bustle on Saturday in London, they want to conquer a place in the top 4 for the first time, but could also be read as follows: The rest is focused, Ronaldo is not.
Under United coach Erik ten Hag, the Portuguese has been something of an old all-terrain vehicle in the past few weeks, which you take out of the garage in the unpopular Europa League for the more uncomfortable journeys, which can sometimes be bumpy. Ronaldo has only played twice from the start in twelve games in the Premier League (one goal, zero assists). In games against Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and now against Tottenham, in which coaches prefer to run the flagship sleds from their fleet, Ronaldo had a total of 36 minutes playing time – 32 of them in the 3-1 win against Arsenal.
Ronaldo will be missing for United
No more were added because Ronaldo refused to be substituted on in the 87th minute on Wednesday. This was confirmed by ten Hag at a press conference on Friday. A similar incident had already occurred in the summer. “After Vallecano, I told him it was unacceptable. This is the second time, now there are consequences.” Ronaldo will be missing United, said ten Hag. That is a weakening of the team: “But it is important for the attitude and mentality of the group.”
He tries “to be a role model,” wrote Ronaldo: “Unfortunately, that’s not always possible.”
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Image: dpa
The eccentric striker had already reacted to his ejection on Instagram on Thursday. He always tries to “be a role model,” he wrote there: “Unfortunately, that’s not always possible, and sometimes we are caught off guard in the heat of the moment.” That was the passage that you probably most likely heard in the statement in perfect English can still be described as something that at least comes close to a process of reflection. There was no regret or apology.
He will not make public what he discussed with Ronaldo, said ten Hag, whose relationship with his striker is considered cold. Ronaldo remains an important player for the team. However, it is hard to imagine that after the escapades there will still be a basis for fruitful cooperation after the end of the contract in summer 2023. It is possible that there will be a separation in winter.
What’s happening in Portugal’s World Cup team?
But there remains a big problem: Whoever signs the Portuguese hardly gets any goals for a lot of money at the moment, but all the more moody theater. As early as the summer, numerous top clubs felt compelled to answer questions as to whether this Ronaldo, who wanted to leave United in the direction of a Champions League participant, would be one for their own ranks. The answers were similar: Doesn’t fit in. Is too expensive. Or both.
And after the latest incidents at the latest, Portugal national coach Fernando Santos should also have to answer the awkward question of how he wants to deal with an aging top star before the World Cup in Qatar. If he leaves Ronaldo on the bench and the team loses, he makes himself vulnerable. Despite a lack of speed, the attacker still has the class to be able to help many teams. But he’s also taking a spot from the team for one of Portugal’s many up-and-coming talents.
Anyone who remembers the EM 2016 saw an injured Ronaldo on the sidelines in the final, who tirelessly pushed his team. However, the past few months have made it clear that dealing with him requires a great deal of sensitivity. Should Ronaldo only play a supporting role in what is probably his last chance at the world title, Santos will have to communicate a lot. Two sentences will not be enough.
