Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed that Sir Alex Ferguson 'would understand' why he gave an explosive interview to Piers Morgan.
The full interview on TalkTV aired on Wednesday and Thursday evening, with the 37-year-old highly critical of Manchester United, including their owners and head coach Erik ten Hag.
The 20-time English champions are now said to be preparing to terminate Ronaldo's contract, with the club confident that he has breached his deal by his actions.
When asked by Morgan what Ferguson would have made of the situation, the striker said that he was confident the club's legendary former manager 'would understand' and 'always be on his side'.
"I haven't spoken to him for like one month, but he's always on my side. He always understand me. He knows that, he knows better than anybody that the club is not on the path they deserve to be. He knows. Everyone knows," Ronaldo told Morgan.
© Reuters
"The people who don't see that is because they don't want to see; they are blamed. The fans, they are always the answer, and the passion for the game.
"Manchester [United] belongs to the fans, but they should know the truth. The infrastructure [is] not good. They should change."
During the interview, Ronaldo also explained the importance of Ferguson when it came to him returning to Old Trafford from Juventus in the summer of 2021.
The two individuals have had a close relationship since Ronaldo made the move to Man United from Sporting Lisbon in the summer of 2003.
The forward's performance for Sporting in a pre-season friendly against the Red Devils ultimately led to the Premier League side moving to complete a deal for him ahead of the 2002-03 campaign.
© Reuters
Ronaldo helped Man United win three Premier League titles, the FA Cup, two League Cups, the Community Shield, the Champions League and the Club World Cup during his first spell at the club.
The forward scored 24 goals for the Red Devils last season, including 18 in the Premier League.
However, he has found it difficult to make his mark during the 2022-23 campaign, only managing three goals in 16 appearances in all competitions.
Ronaldo was not involved in Man United's two matches against Aston Villa and Fulham ahead of the break for the World Cup due to an illness.
As a result, his last-ever game for the 20-time English champions is expected to have been the 3-1 loss to Villa in the league on November 6, when he sported the captain's armband.