Not What You Think – Why Manchester United are taking down Cristiano Ronaldo poster at Old Trafford

Manchester United has removed a large mural of Cristiano Ronaldo from the façade of Old Trafford in preparation for the Rugby League World Cup, which begins this weekend.

Cranes were at United’s stadium on Wednesday to assist with the removal of the Ronaldo poster from the Old Trafford forecourt, on the same day that the first part of his explosive interview with Piers Morgan was scheduled to air.

The poster, however, was always scheduled to be removed this week, with the stadium hosting the men’s and women’s Rugby League World Cup finals on Saturday.

The massive space above the megastore on the forecourt will now contain branding ahead of the showpiece final, which will pit Australia against New Zealand in the women’s final at 1.15pm and Australia vs Samoa in the men’s final at 4pm.

Pictures of Ronaldo’s poster being demolished have gone viral when it was revealed that he had given an explosive interview to Piers Morgan, which will show in full on TalkTV on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

On Sunday night, the first clips of the interview were posted on social media, with Ronaldo accusing the club of “betraying him” and the striker declaring he had no regard for Erik ten Hag.

The interview was released just hours after United defeated Fulham 2-1 in their final Premier League game before the World Cup. Ronaldo and his Portugal colleagues have arrived in Qatar ahead of the event, which begins on Sunday.

After the initial clips from the conversation surfaced on Monday, United issued a statement. “Manchester United takes note of the media coverage about Cristiano Ronaldo’s interview,” it said. The club will assess its response once all of the facts are known.

“Our focus remains on preparing for the second half of the season and maintaining the momentum, belief, and unity that the players, manager, staff, and supporters have built.”

When asked if United was attempting to force Ronaldo out, he told Piers Morgan Uncensored: “Yes. Not only the coach but also two or three other members of the club.”

When asked if they were senior executives, Ronaldo continued: “Yes. I felt duped. I honestly don’t know why I said that. But I don’t care; people should pay attention. I feel deceived as if some people didn’t want me here not only this year but also last year.”