"It's easy to criticise" - When Cristiano Ronaldo called out 'jealous' ex-Manchester United teammate and other colleagues for their comments

Cristiano Ronaldo was not happy with Wayne Rooney's comment about the Portuguese superstar's second stint at Manchester United. He claimed that the Englishman was jealous as he continued to play at the top level, while Rooney had to retire.

Speaking to Piers Morgan in 2022, Ronaldo hit out at Rooney, saying he was unsure why the former Manchester United teammate had criticised him in the media. He took a cheeky dig at the former Derby County manager, claiming that the jealousy was because of their playing days, and added that they were not friends. He said (via BeSoccer):

"It's difficult when you see people who were in the dressing room with you criticising like that. What Rooney said? I really don't understand people like that. They'll want to be on the front page of the paper or in the news. They'll want new jobs or whatever."

"He's probably jealous because he finished his career at 30 and I'm still playing at a high level. I'm not going to say I look better than him, which I do. They are not my friends, they are colleagues. We play together, we don't meet up and we never have dinner together."

Cristiano Ronaldo's comments came in the infamous interview with Piers Morgan, which led to his contract termination at Manchester United.

What did Wayne Rooney say about Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United second stint?

Wayne Rooney was on Sky Sports when he was questioned about whether Cristiano Ronaldo's second stint at Manchester United was a success. He claimed that it was falling short of expectations and said (via ESPN):

"You'd have to say no at the minute. He's scored goals, important goals in the Champions League early on in the season. He scored obviously the hat trick against Tottenham. But I think if you're looking to the future of the club, you have to go with younger, hungry players to lift Manchester United over these next two or three years. Obviously, Cristiano is getting on a bit. He certainly isn't the player he was in his 20s, and that happens -- that's football. He's a goal threat, but the rest of the game they need more and they need young, hungry players."

Cristiano Ronaldo went on to join Al-Nassr in December 2022 after his contract at Manchester United was terminated. He remains at the Saudi Pro League side and has extended his deal by two seasons.