I have had some breakups in my life, but none were as brutal as the one between Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United.
It was a long time coming. But when it finally happened on Tuesday night, both parties left a little tarnished and, strangely, happier.
It reminded me of a school playground fight. Manne come into it koppe stomming and after paar houe and the adrenaline rush is over, they tucked in their shirts and walk away.
If you were watching, you’d score it a draw.
Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect.
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 22, 2022
The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford.#MUFC
But in the case of Ronaldo v United, they both got what they wanted. Both were the winners.
Since only Ole Gunnar Solskjaer left and United brought in proper football minds like interim coach Ralf Rangnick and new boss Erik ten Hag, it became clear that the Portuguese was done at the club.
While Ronaldo is always good for a goal, his work ethic off the ball is not suited to these coaches' demands.
In fact, in the modern game, it’s hard to see its all-time leading goalscorer fit into one of the elite teams he feels he deserves to start at.
However, after trashing United from the owners down to the jacuzzi, he gets to put himself in the shop window at the World Cup as a free agent.
And for the 37-year-old five-time Ballon d’Or winner, winning a first title with Portugal will prove United and the all haters wrong.
Like he told Piers Morgan as he talked his way out of the club in last week’s explosive interview, he’d quit football then and there with the trophy finally in his hands.
United will also be looking to the future now.
After 20 years under the Glazer family’s ownership, the US billionaires could be following Ronaldo out of the exit.
Willing to sell the club - to the highest bidder no doubt - it could spell the end of the club’s stagnation.
In the years since their last Premier League title in the 2012/13 season, United have been, like CR7 said, frozen in time - on the pitch and off it.
While trying to capitalise on the commercial side by signing groot name, Ronaldo just became the latest superstar to slam the club’s inner workings after Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexis Sanchez.
Coaches like Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal also took pot shots at the club.
But with no Ronaldo sideshows and a squad of players he feels are willing to buy into his ideas, Ten Hag will be happy to get to work on improving their football.
And should the club change hands, maybe they will get that new jacuzzi Ronaldo wanted so badly.