Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly irked with Manchester United after having a 25% pay cut applied to his weekly wage after the club failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League last season. United finished sixth in the Premier League, therefore qualifying for the UEFA Europa League.
The Sunday Times has claimed that Ronaldo, 37, was left annoyed when United missed out on the pinnacle European completion for the 2022/23 season which has reportedly seen his wages drop from £480,000 per week to £360,000 per week.
The clause was written into the Portuguese forward’s contract last summer on his return from Juventus, which cost United £12.86 million, which is the same clause entered into his teammates contracts at the time they signed or renewed their contracts.
Ronaldo ended the 2021/22 season as United top scorer with 24 goals in all competitions so he would be right to be annoyed with the reduction in wages. However, if that was a problem for him on his return to the Old Trafford club, he should have asked for it to be removed.
Since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, United have missed out on Champions League qualification four times, missing all European competition one of those times, reaching the Europa League three times (including last season). There was grounds for it happening again at United.
Ronaldo has reportedly been pushing for an exit of the Old Trafford club for a second time, finding suitors to be difficult despite his agent, Jorge Mendes pushing to find a solution. It almost seems like the player is impervious to blame as football is a team game, not an individual sport.
Ronaldo signed a two-year contract when he returned to United, with the option of a third year to be added. He will have known that it was not the same club that he left in the summer of 2009. He would not have done is due diligence if he dd not realise that.
The 37-year-old made made four appearances this season for United, starting just one match – the 4-0 defeat to Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on the 13 August. Ronaldo played just 37 minutes in the 2-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion on the 7 August.
He was dropped to the bench against Liverpool, with United earning a 2-1 victory and the forward played just four minutes. Despite an injury to Anthony Martial ahead of the 1-0 victory over Southampton, Ronaldo again came off the bench playing just 22 minutes.
Written by John Walker
