After hanging his boots, Rio Ferdinand became a pundit at TNT Sports, discussing the dynamics of every game through the lens of his experience as a former footballer himself. Punditry discussions usually occur before, during and after matches. Hence, it is rare indeed to find a pundit exiting the show while it is underway.
Before Rio Ferdinand’s departure from the broadcast, the former Manchester United player had previously explained during punditry that Arsenal could have provided Unai Emery with more time and opportunities at the club before parting ways with him. He said this in light of his current achievements at Aston Villa.
Rio Ferdinand’s unplanned departure from the studio
Rio Ferdinand abruptly left TNT Sports’ live broadcast during Newcastle’s Champions League game at PSG. The reason for this strange occurrence was unknown, as Laura Woods attributed it to “unforeseen circumstances.”
Rio, on punditry duty with former Newcastle midfielder Jermaine Jenas before the match, had to leave mid-game alongside Shay Given due to “unforeseen circumstances,” as explained by host Laura Woods.
As expected, his sudden exit from the show was a bit unsettling, but Laura Woods later allayed all fears as she stated that Rio Ferdinand, the Manchester United legend, will be back today, Wednesday, to talk about Manchester United’s clash with Galatasaray.
In words of assurance, she said, ‘He is OK. Don’t worry.’
Ferdinand points finger at Arsenal
Ex-Manchester United player Rio Ferdinand explained that Arsenal has disrespected Unai Emery, the Aston Villa boss. The former Manchester United defender, who also stole the limelight by saying that Lionel Messi unfollowed Alejandro Garnacho after his CR7 celebration, expressed this opinion after Villa secured a 2-1 victory over Tottenham in north London over the weekend, with goals from Pau Torres and Ollie Watkins sealing the win. Ferdinand shared his strong thoughts in the aftermath of the match.
Rio Ferdinand continued by discussing Unai Emery’s tremendous impact at Aston Villa, transforming the team into a winning one. Emery was appointed in October 2022 as the successor of Stephen Gerrard, and he’s been nothing short of outstanding since then. Emery, in his second spell in England, previously managed Arsenal from May 2018 to November 2019. While achieving Europa League runner-up status with Arsenal, the team struggled to maintain that form at the beginning of the subsequent season.
During the Spaniard’s time at Villa, Ferdinand remarked, “Unai Emery is doing a madness. Arsenal disrespected his whole thing.”
Assessing the opposition, Tottenham, Ferdinand also observed, “That Spurs squad is decimated. Injury-wise, it’s decimated.”
What do you think of the former England international suddenly leaving the broadcast? Tell us what you think in the comments section.
