Ronaldo left Manchester United by 'mutual agreement' - he was not fired

 

Piers Morgan's TV interview with Cristiano Ronaldo, which aired in November, brought the curtain down on the player's second spell at Manchester United.

During the 90-minute interview, Ronaldo attacked his then employer. As a result of the interview, it has been reported that the club is exploring the possibility of firing Ronaldo. In a few days, Manchester United announced that both parties have agreed to terminate the contract.

Are layoffs discounted for more pragmatic solutions?

When resolving disputes between employers and employees, all roads lead to labor agreements. Although professional footballers are informal workers, the employment relationship with their club is governed by a contract. They have a standard Premier League contract signed by all Premier League players including Ronaldo.

Among other things, this contract clearly specifies the obligations and commitments of players and clubs and the conditions under which the contract can be terminated. According to the standard contract, a player cannot do, say or write anything that might harm the club, its officers or employees.

In Ronaldo's interview, he made many statements that could be considered a violation of these express terms of the contract.

According to the standard contract, Ronaldo was also required to notify the club of his willingness to speak to the media, although it is unclear whether Ronaldo has fulfilled this requirement.

What is not written in the contract?

In addition to the conditions that are explicitly mentioned in the contract, certain conditions are mentioned in the agreement between the parties. It is important to note that both clubs and players should not act in a way that undermines mutual trust and confidence.

A higher severity threshold is required for such a loss of confidence to occur. If, as commentator Jamie Carragher suggests, Ronaldo's interview was calculated to destroy his relationship with Manchester United and prompt a move from Old Trafford, perhaps that threshold would have been met and the sack expected.

Although the practice is widespread in professional football players and indeed clubs try to destabilize relations in order to influence transfers or contract renegotiations. In the case of Kevin McBride v Falkirk Football and Athletic Club, the tribunal rejected reliance on industry norms as a basis for breach of trust and confidence.

Why are football players often fired?

Standard Premier League contracts allow clubs to terminate a player for misconduct or failure to serve a final written warning. The termination of the contract and its consequences are regulated by FIFA rules on the status and transfer of players, specifically the right to dismissal for "just cause", which includes persistent misconduct by the player.

Footballer Denis Wise was sacked from Leicester City in 2002. Matteo Bazzi

In football, it is customary for the coach to be fired, not the player. This is usually due to poor performance. Due to the player transfer system where clubs can only charge transfer fees for players under contract, clubs often opt for pragmatism (transferring players to another club) rather than sacking them.

Despite this, many prominent players were fired. Dennis Wise was sacked from Leicester City after breaking his team-mate's cheekbone on the 2002 pre-season tour. Beating a co-worker can be valid grounds for dismissal in law, but Wise successfully filed a wrongful termination lawsuit on procedural grounds. .

In an interview, Ronaldo said that there is no sympathy at the club when it comes to his daughter's health. He also criticized the state of the club's health facilities.

Although Ronaldo has not been outspoken about the matter, such comments could indicate that the club has breached its contractual obligations to the players. Regardless of the validity of such claims, Manchester United officials may consider that they do not want such issues to be aired again, especially if they can end by mutual agreement without financial settlements for the players.

Given Ronaldo's desire to leave the club and only seven months left on his contract, pragmatism prevailed.

Pragmatism often prevails

Weiss's case shows why Manchester United officials, despite their displeasure with Ronaldo's comments, prefer pragmatism, a solution to back-and-forth dismissals.

If sacked, Ronaldo would be entitled to disciplinary action and an appeal, forcing more action at a time when Manchester United's owners are looking for new investment or selling the club and the manager is trying to build on that. It created a lot of uncertainty and instability. Recent form improvements.