Cristiano Ronaldo did not witness the defeat of Manchester United, humiliated in the derby against Manchester City, because as soon as he learned that he would remain on the bench in the derby against the Premier League leaders he preferred to fly to Portugal. The indiscretion collected by the English tabloids contrasts with the official version provided to the press by manager Ralf Rangnick who had explained the absence of the Portuguese with a last-minute injury. Also the sister of CR7, Katia Aveiro, indirectly denied the words of the German coach, putting a “like” on a post by a fan who, reconstructing the story, excluded that Ronaldo was injured, but rather that his exclusion was purely technical-tactical.
Yet another episode that highlights the current discontent of the 37-year-old Portuguese who already in December had expressed his frustration with the fluctuating performance of the Red Devils, not excluding the farewell at the end of the season. Ronaldo had not spared criticism even in Rangnick, questioning his ability to manage a top-tier team like United. On Sunday the last friction between the two: faced with the prospect of not starting the starter against the Citizens, on Saturday afternoon Ronaldo left the hotel where he was with his teammates to return with his family to Madeira, in the general surprise, without provide explanations. A gesture destined to leave consequences in the already difficult relationship between the two. «But I have to believe my technical staff – Rangnick justified himself -. On Friday they told me that Ronaldo would not have trained due to a pelvic problem ».