Gary Neville has been saddened by news of Manchester United’s decision to begin the process of sacking Cristiano Ronaldo.
The club’s superstar forward is thought to be in breach of contract following his bombshell interview with Piers Morgan that aired in full earlier this week.
Ronaldo effectively rendered his position untenable after launching a scathing attack on manager Erik ten Hag and the club’s hierarchy, reserving particular criticism for the Glazer family who have presided over a period of decline.
Neville, a former teammate of Ronaldo’s, was also singled out for criticism during a 90 minute wide-ranging conversation and accused of using the 37-year-old’s name to boost his own profile.
Regardless of the back and forth, Neville has been disheartened by what appears to be an acrimonious end to the love story between Ronaldo and the Premier League giants.
Reacting on Twitter to United’s statement earlier on Friday, Neville wrote: ‘Sad that it’s come to a point where arguably United’s greatest ever talent is likely to be sacked.
‘It didn’t need to be like this. A mature conversation a few weeks ago between “both parties” could have secured a smooth exit.’
According to MailOnline, meanwhile, United’s lawyers believe Ronaldo’s actions are enough to consider it a breach of his contract, which is worth in excess of £500,000 a week and still has seven months left to run.
Should United successfully terminate Ronaldo’s deal without paying compensation, it would save the club in the region of £16 million.
The Guardian add that Ronaldo has already been told by United to not return to the club’s training ground after the end of Portugal’s World Cup campaign in Qatar.
It’s understood that Ten Hag has made it clear to United’s hierarchy that Ronaldo should never play for the club again.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, is currently with Portugal’s national team ahead of the start of their World Cup campaign in Qatar, which begins against Ghana next Thursday. Portugal will also play Uruguay and South Korea in Group H.
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