Premier League legend Alan Shearer has branded Cristiano Ronaldo‘s behavior as unprofessional following the Portuguese’s tantrum during Manchester United‘s 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on October 19.
Ronaldo has become the talk of the town following his controversial antics during the clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.
The Portuguese was furious after being named on the bench and refused to come on as a substitute before storming off ahead of the full-time whistle.
Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag punished the attacker by leaving him out of the squad to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge today (October 22).
Alan Shearer has backed that decision, stating that the 37-year-old’s behavior was totally unacceptable. The Englishman told The Athletic (via Football 365):
“From the outset, I should say that Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent behavior is totally unacceptable. Showing respect to your teammates, your manager and your club’s supporters are amongst the fundamentals in football.”
“To refuse to come on as a substitute, as Erik ten Hag has confirmed, and retreat to the dressing room with a game still in progress takes a flamethrower to one of the primary dressing-room codes.”
Shearer continued:
“In a team game, where the basic principle is that you’re all in it together win or lose, such a display of selfishness and petulance is desperately unprofessional and it’s right that Ronaldo should be disciplined by Manchester United because of it.”
Alan Shearer stated that Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t set the right example with his conduct at Old Trafford and added:
“His was a terrible example to set and it’s a shame that instead of reflecting on their best performance of the season against Tottenham Hotspur, Ten Hag has been forced to talk about someone who only figured on the periphery.”
Has Cristiano Ronaldo reached the end of the road at Manchester United?
Considering what we’ve witnessed so far, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to say Ronaldo’s future lies away from Old Trafford. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner will likely try to leave the club in the winter transfer window after failing to secure a move last summer.
So far this season, Ronaldo has made just 12 appearances for Manchester United across all competitions, recording two goals and one assist to his name. However, he’s been limited to just two starts in the Premier League, which is one of the reasons behind his frustration.
