After his explosive conversation with Piers Morgan, Manchester United will seriously consider buying out Cristiano Ronaldo's remaining years on his contract.
At this time, Manchester United is considering taking legal action against Cristiano Ronaldo for an alleged breach of contract, which could ultimately lead to the conclusion of his current deal with the club.
After the concluding portion of Ronaldo's interview was broadcast on Thursday night, the club issued a statement on Friday confirming that they have "initiated appropriate steps" in response to the situation.
Despite the fact that the 37-year-old was sick and unable to play in United's match against Fulham on Sunday afternoon, he still managed to make headlines and cast a shadow over the team's 2-1 victory in London when a bombshell interview emerged later that day.
When Ronaldo finalized his move back to Manchester United a year ago, he was required to sign a Premier League employment contract, just like every other top-flight footballer.
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This agreement stipulates that all employees are required to "comply with and act in accordance with all lawful instructions of any authorised official of the club" and that they are not permitted to "write or say anything that is likely to bring the club... into disrepute... or cause damage to the club." The agreement also prohibits employees from "bringing the club into disrepute... or causing damage to the club."
Although United has indicated that they want to bring this process to a conclusion as quickly as possible, the first step will be for the club to determine whether or not Cristiano Ronaldo has violated his contract in any way, and to what extent if any.
In the event that it is found that Ronaldo has in fact broken the terms of his contract, the club would be well within their rights to terminate the agreement that he has with them.
It was reported earlier this week by the Manchester Evening News that Manchester United believe Ronaldo's criticism of their handling of his absence from the pre-season tour has been unfair, while the majority of Ronaldo's teammates believe he should never play for the club again. This information was revealed earlier in the week.
Earlier in the week, United made a promise that they would take the facts into consideration before releasing the full interview. The following is an excerpt from their statement: "Manchester United notes the media coverage regarding an interview by Cristiano Ronaldo." After gathering all of the relevant information, the club will deliberate over how best to respond.
The second half of the season, as well as continuing to build momentum, belief, and togetherness among the players, manager, staff, and fans, will continue to be our primary focus as we move forward with the rest of the season.
Alphonsus Odumu 4 d
Ronaldo interview