The pundit does not believe his old team-mate will care about the fine (Pictures: Getty / FIVE)
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has ridiculed the rumoured £1million fine Cristiano Ronaldo is set to receive following his explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
The 37-year-old hit out at the club during a 90-minute sit down which will air later this week, accusing United’s hierarchy of trying to force him out and saying he would ‘never respect’ manager Erik ten Hag.
United released a statement on Monday saying they would ‘consider their response after the facts have been established’, though it has been reported that Ronaldo will be fined two weeks’ wages.
Given the former Real Madrid forward’s enormous salary, that amounts to around £1million, though Ferdinand feels such a punishment will barely register given Ronaldo’s wealth.
Speaking on his Vibe with FIVE YouTube show, he said: ‘I’ve just seen by the way that they reckon Ronaldo has been fined £1million, that’s what they’re saying. But that’s two weeks’ wages.
‘What he’s doing right, he’s actually picking up one of his sofa pillows and just gonna go [licks fingers and does flicking motion] dust, and just be doing that for a couple of minutes.
‘You think that’s going to touch the sides? You think £1milllion is going to touch the sides with this guy? Come on man.
Ronaldo was all smiles in training with Portugal on Monday (Picture: Getty)
‘But that’s all they can do is two weeks’ wages. I used to get fined two weeks’ wages every now and again as well. The manager fined me two weeks man, I almost ran at him.’
Ferdinand has long defended Ronaldo even after he refused to be subbed on against Tottenham last month and stormed down the tunnel before full-time, but feels there is no coming back from his bombshell interview with Morgan.
‘You can’t sit here and defend that from Cristiano Ronaldo,’ he said earlier in the day.
‘Deep down, I know for a fact, this has all been manufactured for one thing, and that’s for him to leave the club. This love affair between Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United is now over.
‘I don’t think there’s any way back. I don’t think the club will take him back and I don’t think he wants to come back, I think that’s the given.
‘He wants to get out of this place. Up until this interview I could defend him and thought the club should have communicated with him better.
‘But in a way Erik ten Hag has got what he wants and Cristiano Ronaldo will get what he wants. In this situation he’s done everything he can to get out of this club.
‘I played with some players who did far less than this and never wore the shirt again.’
MORE : Manchester United issue statement after explosive Cristiano Ronaldo interview
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‘You think that’s going to touch the sides?’
