Manchester United earned an impressive 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday with Cristiano Ronaldo mitigated to a spectator.
The star didn’t appear pleased with his benching.
Ronaldo left the sideline and walked into the tunnel before the final whistle blew. Per Fabrizio Romano, manager Erik ten Hag declined to discuss the veteran’s actions after the win.
“I will deal with that tomorrow, not today,” he said. “We are now celebrating this victory.”
Onlookers didn’t appreciate Ronaldo overshadowing the Premier League triumph.
“He’s throwing a fit… this dude just being immature for no reason,” The Athletic’s Martino Puccio wrote. “He has to be more professional than this.”
“Cristiano Ronaldo is embarrassing,” Express Sport’s Alex Turk stated. “The greatest performance of Erik ten Hag’s reign so far and [Ronaldo] tries to make it about himself because United played levels better without trying to accommodate him. Again.”
One fan pleaded to “just let him go” while another praised ten Hag’s response.
Meanwhile, soccer writer Grace Robertson suggested that sitting will benefit the 37-year-old when representing Portugal in the 2022 World Cup.
“I know this is why I will never understand the mentality of a top player, but I don’t get why he’s not thinking about how this keeps him fresh for the World Cup, something that matters way more to his legacy than Man Utd’s season,” Robertson said.”
Ronaldo’s Manchester United return has not gone according to plan. He sat out the club’s preseason after requesting a transfer, but United has not made him available.
Leaving the field early could make the situation between Ronaldo and Manchester United even messier.