It’s the eve of the northwest England derby, with Manchester United visiting Liverpool on Tuesday night. But on this Monday, there is a whole going on off the pitch too, in regards to MUFC.
Let’s run through the biggest headlines of the day, starting with the shocking and tragic news shared by Cristiano Ronaldo on his social media pages.
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) April 18, 2022
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Ronaldo and his longtime girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez announced that their newborn son has passed away. His son’s twin daughter is okay.
Obviously, this is the worst kind of pain that a parent can feel, and this transcends football. Who knows if he’ll play tomorrow night or not, but whatever decision he makes, we will all have to respect it.
Only he knows what feels best for him right now.
Ronaldo, who scored a hat trick on Saturday, has four older children. Elsewhere, star midfielder Bruno Fernandes is totally unhurt after being involved in a car crash on his way to training today.
While the photos of the car crash that circulated online looked pretty unsettling, no one involved in the accident was injured, in any way shape or form and Fernandes trained as usual.
“He [Fernandes] was OK and will be for tomorrow,” said United interim manager Ralf Rangnick.
Finally, the Erik ten Hag deal has been finalized, as it’s officially “here we go” time now.
Erik ten Hag to Manchester United, here we go! Agreement on contract now set to be completed. Mitchell van der Gaag, priority candidate for coaching staff. ?? #MUFC
Ajax & Man United in contact to discuss €2m clause – announcement timing depends on this [not today/tomorrow]. pic.twitter.com/byQvO8Pkn5
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 18, 2022
I guess we should expect an official announcement any day now.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.