Gary Neville mocked Cristiano Ronaldo’s interview with Piers Morgan by telling his followers to watch a Salford City match instead.
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The first part of Ronaldo’s explosive chat with Morgan was broadcasted on Wednesday evening, with the Portuguese star taking aim at his employers Manchester United, his ex-manager Ralf Rangnick & former team-mates Neville and Wayne Rooney.
Neville would have been bracing himself for Ronaldo’s comments but tried to play down the interview. Just 26 minutes before it began, he tweeted: “Tune in for a ‘world exclusive’ at 8pm tonight. Salford City v Peterborough in the FA Cup on ITV4, channel 120.”
Neville is the co-owner of League Two team Salford, with Paul Scholes and Beckham among the club’s other shareholders. It turned out to be an unpleasant evening for the pundit, as Salford were beaten 3-0 by Peterborough on home soil.
It’s unclear if Neville watched Ronaldo’s interview with Morgan when it was broadcasted live on Wednesday due to his Salford commitments. He would’ve been aware of Ronaldo’s comments as they were revealed this week.
Ronaldo took aim at Neville after the pundit criticised his form this campaign. The 37-year-old has struggled for goals under Erik ten Hag, finding the net just three times in 16 matches. Neville was also unimpressed by his refusal to play against Tottenham.
Ten Hag wanted to bring on Ronaldo in the 2-0 victory against Spurs, but the player refused and stormed down the tunnel. He then left Old Trafford before the full-time – the second time he’s done that under Ten Hag after doing same thing in a friendly in August.
“That’s the second time Cristiano Ronaldo has left Old Trafford and got in his car before his team have got back into the changing room,” Neville told Sky Sports at the time “I have to say, as someone in the dressing room, it’s something that’s unacceptable.
“When you look at whether Cristiano should be selected, Manchester United are better without him – and Erik ten Hag knows that. The only thing that Cristiano and the club can do is get together in the next week and end the relationship. Cristiano is too good of a player, too fantastic of a character and the club have got to move on.”
In response, Ronaldo told Morgan on Wednesday: “It’s hard to listen [to] that kind of criticism and negative about people who play with you, for example, Gary Neville, as well. I think they take advantage of that [his profile] because they are not stupid.
“I’m the number one followed guy in the world. It’s not by coincidence. To listen as ex-colleagues or team-mates criticise you, when they only see one point of view.
“It’s easy. It’s easy to criticise, I don’t know if you have a job in television that they must criticise to be more famous. I really don’t understand it. It’s hard when you see people who was in the dressing room with you criticising that way.”
