Manchester United announced that Cristiano Ronaldo is leaving the soccer club, effective immediately. The decision was reportedly mutual. The 37-year-old spoke out about his grievances with the club in an unauthorized interview with Piers Morgan, claiming he felt betrayed and criticizing club manager Erik ten Hag, CNN reports.
The club released a statement thanking Ronaldo for his "immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford, scoring 145 goals in 346 appearances," adding that it remains focused on continuing the team's progress under ten Hag and "working together to deliver success on the pitch."
Ronaldo's contract was supposed to last through June 2023, however, he and Manchester United ended the contract early, ESPN reports. Following the interview, the team's officials worked to immediately end the contract, given that the interview was not approved by the soccer star's managers.
His run with the club comes to a rather disappointing end after only scoring once in the last ten Premier League games. Ronaldo is currently in Qatar playing for the Portuguese national team in the World Cup. It is unknown which club will sign him for the latter half of the season.
"I love Manchester United and I love the fans, that will never ever change," Ronaldo said in a statement, "However, it feels like the right time for me to seek a new challenge."