Manchester United have decided to part ways with Cristiano Ronaldo and have instructed the club’s lawyers to open legal proceedings against the Portuguese superstar, sources have confirmed to 90 Minutes.
United feel they have no choice but to move on from Ronaldo and have already told their representatives he is no longer welcome at the club following his blockbuster interview with Piers Morgan. will
Despite being a member of the first team, Ronaldo has openly criticized the club’s owners, management and structure, and United are now working hard.
The club’s legal team believe they could sue Ronaldo for breach of contract, which would put him out of a job.
Ronaldo has almost certainly played his last game for United having linked up with Portugal ahead of their World Cup campaign.
United waited for the final part of the interview to air on talk TV before taking any action, but as soon as 90 Minutes was revealed on Monday, the club knew it was going to happen.
90 Minutes understands Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes is already working on potential next clubs, although it remains to be seen how the legal action will affect him.
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The question of whether United can really sack Ronaldo has been debated for 90 minutes. Dan Chapman, leading sports lawyer and partner at Leith Prior, explained to us:
“Manchester United will need to decide whether they want to terminate Ronaldo’s contract on the basis of gross misconduct, or whether they are looking for a more commercial solution.
“If they terminate for gross misconduct, they could theoretically claim breach of contract against Ronaldo (a clear breach of contract and club policies on media interviews but potentially Many other violations).
“Such claims are rare, not least because it is often difficult for the employer to assess the financial damages they have suffered as a result of the breach of contract, but perhaps Also because clubs may feel that there is no point in building a reputation for suing players, they attract future players.
“However, while rare, and we typically see commercial settlements reached, such claims are not without precedent and the most notable example was when Chelsea terminated Adrian Motto’s contract for gross misconduct. Terminated and then also sued him for damages for breach of contract. Chelsea won. And Mutu was ordered to pay £15.2m in damages. This was in 2009 and he refused to pay. Hoy spent most of the next ten years in legal battles with Chelsea.”