The English Premier League team Manchester United announced on Tuesday that Cristiano Ronaldo is leaving with immediate effect.
The decision, which comes a week after Ronaldo gave an explosive TV interview about his frustrations at the club, was made by mutual agreement, according to a brief statement from United.
On Monday, Ronaldo, who is currently in Qatar with the Portugal national team for the World Cup, claimed that the timing of his most recent remarks about United wouldn’t have an impact on the team’s focus.
With Ronaldo’s departure from United, the 37-year-second old’s stint at the club comes to a bitter and depressing end. He scored just once in this season’s 10 Premier League appearances.
He has primarily been used as a replacement by Ten Hag, and last month, with minutes left in the game against Tottenham Hotspur, he declined to enter the field and chose to proceed down the tunnel instead.
Ronaldo’s participation in this World Cup is probably his last, and it is unknown which team will sign him after that for the remainder of the season.
The United fans welcomed Ronaldo back from Juventus last year with great enthusiasm, but his second stint at Old Trafford did not prove to be as successful as his first as United finished the previous campaign without winning any trophies.
Ronaldo had this to say “I love Manchester United and I love the fans, that will never ever change. However, it feels like the right time for me to seek a new challenge.
“I wish the team every success for the remainder of the season and for the future.”