Cristiano Ronaldo: It will take time to forgive, say United fans

When a footballer scores goals, wins trophies and brings great joy, there is usually no doubt about just how iconic that player is for fans.

But, when you give an explosive interview berating your club - as Cristiano Ronaldo has done - that legacy can be called into question.

It's now been confirmed the striker will leave Manchester United with immediate effect.

But what has the whole affair done for Ronaldo's status in the eyes of fans?

In his interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV, he said the club "betrayed" him, and that he had no respect for current manager Erik Ten Hag

Lifelong United fan Natalie Burrell says the decision for Ronaldo to leave "is definitely right".

"He's up there with the greats, scoring so many goals and winning trophies."

But she says it's hard to talk about his legacy as a legend so soon after his interview and departure.

"I think it's going to be prolonged and take a while for people to forgive him."

In his statement, Ronaldo stated that he still loved the fans.

"That will never ever change. However, it feels like the right time for me to seek a new challenge."

Natalie says that line about the fans was important.

"He left it OK by saying what he did about the fans, but it's going to take a while for acceptance to come."

It's fair to say the season has been choppy for Ronaldo at Manchester United.

He was reportedly angling for a summer transfer and was dropped from the squad after refusing to come on as a substitute when United took on Tottenham last month.

But those choppy waters turned into full on stormy seas when clips from his sit down interview with Piers Morgan were shared online.

Ronaldo told Piers he had no respect for current manager Erik Ten Hag and criticised former teammates and Manchester United legends Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville, not to mention the club's owners.

The Glazer family bought Manchester United in 2005 and Ronaldo said they "do not care about the club".

This isn't out of step with what fans have been saying for a number of years and there have even been protests against their ownership.

Now, Manchester United's owners say they are considering selling the club as they "explore strategic alternatives".

Natalie is happy to hear the Glazer family could leave.

"It's what we've wanted and why we've been protesting since they joined."

She says even when the club were winning trophies, the "green and gold scarfs were out" - referring to the symbol for protests.

"We need real owners who are going to invest in the stadium and facilities."

United fans such as Morgan Lewis and Harry O'Connor agree with Ronaldo's comments about the owners.

"Some of the stuff he said about the owners and the executives, you can understand it," says 22-year-old Harry.

But he feels the moment Ronaldo said he had "no respect for Ten Hag" was the moment he lost support.

"You can't dig out the manager like that," adds Morgan, 24. "No one's bigger than the club."

Former Man City defender Nedum Onuoha told BBC Newsbeat that players will still look up to Ronaldo's achievements in the dressing room.

"Individually they'll still look at his highlights, they'll see the hundreds of goals that he scored, and the things that he's won, and still strive to have as successful a career as he's had.

"Certain bits, in terms of how he's conducting himself now, they won't like, but 99.9% of footballers know that they couldn't even think about doing this anyway."

With the World Cup underway in Qatar, Ronaldo is currently preparing to play for Portugal.

"There was always that fantasy with Manchester United fans of wanting Ronaldo to come back," says Harry. "It was nearly 10 years in the making."

For the striker to speak out against the club after such a long relationship, Harry thinks it will be hard for fans to forgive and forget.

However, "time is a healer", he says, and Morgan agrees.

"Right now, I think his legacy is done, I think he's completely ruined it," Morgan says. "It's very raw right now.

"But if you asked me in three or four years' time, I might say something different."

An earlier version of this article was published on 17 November.

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