Man United news: Pundit slams Cristiano Ronaldo after ‘terrible’ new twist in controversy
Noel Whelan has slammed Man United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo’s “grave mistake” following his side’s 1-0 loss against Everton on Saturday (9 April).
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, insisted his actions are not expected of any professional footballer – let alone someone of the 37-year-old’s “status”.
Footage emerged of Ronaldo smacking a phone out of the hand of a young Everton supporter as he trudged down the tunnel after the final whistle on Saturday.
The Portuguese apologised for the “outburst” on Instagram (10 April), claiming “it is never easy to deal with emotions in difficult moments”.
As quoted by the Liverpool Echo (11 April), the fan’s mother insisted Man United and Ronaldo have dealt with the situation “terribly” – describing his apology as “backhanded”.
As per the report, the Merseyside Police have confirmed that “enquiries remain ongoing” at this time.
Whelan urged Ronaldo to “make it right” after the “out of character” incident.
He told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury: “That’s no excuse, is it?
“Players know when they’re walking down the tunnel, there are going to be fans wanting to get pictures of their heroes – and that’s the same whether you’ve won or lost.
“That is not the behaviour you expect from a professional footballer, let alone someone with the status of Ronaldo. We know how much hard work he does for kids away from the field.
“This was out of character. I think it was out of sheer frustration with the result and sheer anger with the club, and his teammates.
“I like to see a player hurting after a bad run, but I think he knows he has made a grave mistake.
“Let’s hope he can make it right.”
In other news, pundit claims Man United have been “stung” for £40m+ after baffling defender news.