Cristiano Ronaldo appears to taunt Manchester United with new watch unveiling

Former Manchester United player Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to taunt his old club with the unveiling of a new jewellery collaboration.

Ronaldo, 37, saw his contract with the Premier League club ended with immediate effect on Wednesday (22 November). The decision was said to be mutual.

Just hours after the announcement, the Portuguese footballer shared news of his partnership with jeweller Jacob & Co. with his 500 million Instagram followers, writing in the caption: “I’m excited to announce my partnership with @jacobandco, one of the leading watch brands in the world.

“Today, we reveal our first watch collection that I co-designed with my dear friend @jacobarabo.”

Fans were quick to notice that the clock face design on the watch Ronaldo was wearing in the image depicted the infamous header he scored against Manchester United while playing for Real Madrid in 2013 during a Champions League match. This prompted many to suggest that the new designs could be a “swipe” at his old club.

“Cristiano Ronaldo’s ICONIC header vs Manchester United is the face of his new luxury watch,” one person on Twitter commented along with a cry-laughing emoji.

“Ronaldo posted a new luxury watch that featured his header vs Manchester United minutes after he announced he has left Man United. Lmaooo. Another goal against them?” another person wrote.

“Ronaldo is a troll. I love my GOAT [Greatest of All Time],” a third person said.

A statement released by Man United on Wednesday read: “The club thanks him [Ronaldo] for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford.”

It added: “Everyone at Manchester United remains focused on continuing the team’s progress under Erik ten Hag and working together to deliver success on the pitch.”

The decision comes after a controversial interview last week which saw the player say he felt “betrayed” by the club, felt as if he was being pushed out, and that he had “no respect” for manager Erik ten Hag.

When asked by The Sun if he felt he was being pushed out, Ronaldo said: “Yes, not only the coach, but another two or three guys around the club. I felt betrayed.”

Ronaldo is currently representing Portugal in the men’s Football World Cup which is taking place in Qatar.