Why Ronaldo’s Legacy Not Tarnished Despite Man United Crisis – Keane

Cristiano Ronaldo’s untimely departure at Manchester United, according to Roy Keane, was inevitable because the forward “didn’t come back for pressing.”

Keane defended the striker in a press conference before Germany’s World Cup match against Japan, saying that he shouldn’t have been utilized as a backup and that the mess could have been easily averted by selling him in the summer.

The veteran midfielder also emphasized the accomplishments Ronaldo has made as a player, asserting that his reputation at United has not been damaged.

“It has been on cards for the last few months,” Keane told ITV. “The interview was the tipping point. He should have left in the summer, the new manager was never going to play him. You cannot have Ronaldo as a fringe player, it is just not right. You have to the treat the top players differently.

“I don’t want to go down the road again about pressing, Ronaldo did not come back to the club to do that, he came back to score goals. I think it is really straightforward, people say is his reputation at United tarnished. Far from it. United fans aren’t daft. Ronaldo will go down as one of the greatest players. It has not ended well, but that’s life.”

After reaching an understanding on the player’s early contract termination, United made the announcement that they would be parting ways with Ronaldo.

READ ALSO: Ronaldo Responds To Man United Criticism, Says “I Talk When I Want To”

Keane’s remarks stand in stark contrast to those of his former teammate Paul Scholes, whose social media post suggested that Scholes was happy the Portugal international had left.

As Portugal’s World Cup campaign gets underway against Ghana on Thursday, Ronaldo will attempt to stay out of the headlines off the field, the most recent of which was a fine and suspension for shattering a fan’s phone back in April.

Recall the incident that occurred in April when Ronaldo smashed a young fan’s phone suffering from autism and dyspraxia following Manchester United’s 1-0 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park last season, for which the forward was initially cautioned by Merseyside Police.

The FA on Wednesday, released a statement explaining Ronaldo was charged with “improper and/or violent” conduct, for which he has been served with a two-game suspension along with his hefty fine.

“Cristiano Ronaldo has been suspended for two matches, fined £50,000 and warned as to his future conduct for a breach of FA Rule E3,” the FA’s statement read.

“The forward admitted that his conduct after the final whistle of the Premier League game between Manchester United FC and Everton FC on Saturday 9 April 2022 was improper. An independent Regulatory Commission found that his conduct was both improper and violent during a subsequent hearing, and imposed these sanctions,” the statement continued.