HOW CRISTIANO RONALDO GOT IT WRONG

My first memories of Cristiano were in that epic friendly with Sporting Lisbon in 2003, his mesmerising skills persuaded Sir Alex Ferguson to sign him. The rest is history. He won the FA Cup in his first season and went on to win three league titles back-to-back. In 2008 to win the Ballon d’Or before his world-record move to Real Madrid. 

At Santiago Bernabeu he cemented his position as one of the best football players the world has seen, winning four Champions League trophies and becoming the club’s all-time highest goals scorer. He continued his scoring spree at Juventus before returning to Manchester United at the age of 36. I expected him to guide the young ones on his return, but he refused to do that. 

Where Cristiano started to get it wrong is the assumption that he will continue to glorious performance at that ripe age. He could have signed for a season and then either retire or end his playing career in his native Portugal. 

He also got it wrong in assuming that he will continue to shine and bang in the goals at 37 or 38. He assumed he is too big to play in any European club competition outside the Champions League, though his complete loss of concentration when he failed to secure a move from United to any club, of course, because of his huge wage bill. We have seen players playing in lower leagues at the end of their careers. Cristiano shouldn’t have felt he will forever be at the top. 

Having failed to secure a move away from United, he kept dilly-dallying with unsubstantiated illnesses, he couldn’t get his scoring form, not only for United but even for Portugal. That is a signal that the heydays were over. 

In October, following his suspension for leaving the pitch before the final whistle during a game in which he was an unused substitute, he told the press that he will soon reveal the “truth”. Astonishingly, in doing so, just as the league takes a break for the World Cup, he went berserk and got it all wrong. He crossed the line. 

He shouldn’t in the first place offer an interview to Piers Morgan, a known enemy of United, who laughably once 8-2 be an Arsenal fan. In the interview, to be aired on Talk TV, he brazenly alleged some people in the club wanted him out and he felt betrayed. Recall that Cristiano’s wage bill amounts to 515,000 British Pounds! Bizarrely, Cristiano told Piers Morgan that Wayne Rooney criticised him because Rooney “finished his career and I’m still playing”. As if Cristiano will not retire from active football. Even Sir Stanley Matthews bows out at 53. 

Cristiano has got it wrong, and I am sure United’s hierarchy will not take it with a pinch of salt. That EPL game against Aston Villa which he captained will probably be his last game for United. I don’t see him lining up for United’s next game in December, it is inconceivable to think Eric Ten Hag will sweep those allegations under the carpet. in-between those days we should expect a barrage of activities and media hype which will certainly not take the shine off the World Cup showdown in Qatar.