Fred reveals dressing-room chaos after Ronaldo's Piers Morgan interview rocked Man Utd

Former Manchester United midfielder Fred has offered a vivid first-hand account of the fallout from Cristiano Ronaldo’s explosive Piers Morgan interview in November 2022, describing the moment the dressing room learned of its contents as pure chaos.

Speaking on the Brazilian Charla Podcast, Fred recalled how club communications staff switched off aeroplane mode as the team’s plane landed after a match, only to discover Ronaldo had given a wide-ranging interview in which he tore into manager Erik ten Hag and the club’s ownership. “Then everyone went wild,” Fred said. “It was chaos, people pacing back and forth. It was madness. He said things he shouldn’t have, and it was a week of turmoil.”

Fred noted that Ronaldo’s departure had already been signalled before the interview aired. “Before a match, Ten Hag said that Ronaldo was going to leave,” he said. “Fair enough, there was nothing we could do.” The interview, however, accelerated events dramatically, and Ronaldo left United for the second and final time shortly afterwards.

While acknowledging that Ronaldo overstepped, Fred was equally candid about Ten Hag, accusing the Dutchman of favouritism within the squad. “Tactically, Ten Hag was very good, but with the group, he was a piece of s***,” Fred said. “He argued with everyone — me, Cristiano Ronaldo, Casemiro, Rashford. Only the Dutch players got to play. He was a coach who played his favourites. But tactically, he was one of the best I’ve ever worked with.”

Fred also pointed to the generational tension at the heart of the Ronaldo-Ten Hag clash. “He wanted the team to run, but Cristiano was getting older. He dropped Cristiano and that led to a falling-out.”

The recollections arrive at a moment when Ronaldo, now 41, is navigating fresh friction at international level. The forward left the Portugal squad after being an unused substitute in a 2-1 Nations League win away to Norway on 27 September, subsequently vowing to “tell the truth” about his bust-up with new national team boss Jorge Jesus.

After Portugal’s 2-1 home win over Norway on Sunday, Jesus said the door remained open for Ronaldo’s return, though not as a guaranteed starter. “If he wants to, he’ll return to the national team,” Jesus said. “We can talk before the next call-up, but Cris is the one who’s going to decide.” Ronaldo has scored 146 goals in 234 appearances for Portugal.