Manchester United has begun the process of sacking Cristiano Ronaldo following his bombshell interview in which he slammed the club.
United have been taking legal advice and it is understood lawyers have told them they have grounds to terminate Ronaldo’s deal for breach of contract.
In his explosive interview on TalkTV, Ronaldo accused United’s hierarchy of trying to force him out and claimed he had no respect for boss Erik ten Hag.
United are confident they have grounds for canceling Ronaldo’s deal, which has six months left to run, for bringing the club into disrepute.
The Old Trafford club released a statement on Thursday, which read: “Manchester United has this morning initiated appropriate steps in response to Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent media interview.
“We will not be making further comment until this process reaches its conclusion.”
All top-flight players sign a Premier league employment contract with their clubs.
Under that agreement, they are obliged to “comply with and act in accordance with all lawful instructions of any authorized official of the club” and are not allowed to “write or say anything likely to bring the club… into disrepute… or cause damage to the club”.
If Ronaldo has been deemed to have breached his contract, the club could terminate his deal.
The 37-year-old forward added that he feels he is being forced out of United, “Not only by the coach (Erik ten Hag) but also by two or three other people around the club”.
He said: “I feel betrayed.
Ronaldo has struggled for form in front of goal this season. The Portugal international has only scored one goal in 10 Premier League appearances this season.
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