Rio Ferdinand (via Getty)
Rio Ferdinand has faced a major backlash after becoming involved in a social media clash with Manchester United content creator Saeed TV. The former Manchester United defender was accused of fat-shaming the influencer after responding to criticism of his silence on the club’s ownership.Ferdinand hit back after Saeed TV told him to “Stop yapping and call out the owners!” The former England international replied with a personal comment about Saeed’s weight. His response has since triggered strong reactions from fans, with some calling the remark unacceptable while others defended Ferdinand.
Rio Ferdinand’s response sparks huge reaction from Manchester United fans
The controversy began after Rio Ferdinand shared a picture of himself with Manchester United manager Michael Carrick.
He also quoted Carrick, who had recently said, “It is not about me. Manchester United is a lot bigger than any individual, bigger than me, bigger than any player and anyone else who works at the club.”It is unclear exactly why Ferdinand shared the message. However, it came after recent criticism surrounding Manchester United’s leadership and squad.
Lisandro Martinez has also spoken out about the club this week. The defender reportedly questioned the strength of the squad and made strong comments about the club’s leadership.
Saeed TV was unhappy with Ferdinand’s post. He questioned why the former defender had not been more vocal about Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazer family.He commented, “Stop yapping and call out the owners!”Ferdinand responded sharply. He wrote, “Stop yapping and pick up ya t**s, ya out a breath typing!”The response quickly attracted attention online. Many fans accused Ferdinand of crossing a line by making a comment about Saeed’s body.One fan wrote on X, “Rio Ferdinand is an absolute disgrace. Imagine being SO blind that you have to resort to this type of nonsense.”Another wrote, “That's a very very low personal blow from Rio. Uncalled for.” A third commented, “That’s poor from Rio.”Saeed later posted a response video. He criticised Ferdinand for the way he handled the disagreement and questioned his behaviour as a public figure.He said, “You are a grown man and this is the response you put on social media.
You have got kids watching you. You are a role model to so many around the world, and yet this is how you conduct yourself around the world. It’s absolutely embarrassing.”He added, “You’ve got people around you who respect you. What is there to respect when you’re speaking like this on social media? It doesn’t affect me because I’ve been through a lot on social media and above all, I’ve been racially abused, so I’ve got thick skin.
For me to hold you accountable and for you to resort to that… it tells everything about you.”Saeed also suggested that Ferdinand avoids strongly criticising United’s leadership because he wants to maintain his access to the club.However, not everyone sided with Saeed. Some fans argued that the content creator had provoked Ferdinand by telling him to “stop yapping.”