Rio Ferdinand's 'difficult' TNT Sports exit, hitting back at critics, 'quitting UK with wife'

Rio Ferdinand will leave his punditry and commentary role with TNT Sports after Saturday’s final. The legend announced that the clash between in Munich will be his last involvement with the broadcaster after a 10-year partnership.

revealed on social media that he had reluctantly come to the decision to “step away” in an effort to escape his hectic schedule. As , the former England centre-back remains on very good terms with TNT Sports, which is now expected to recruit a replacement.

The 46-year-old said in a statement on social media: “I have made the difficult decision to step away from TNT sports after the Champions league final. Since retiring from football it has been a privilege talking about the game I love for a decade for sports fans watching on BT Sport and TNT Sports.

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“To everyone at TNT Sports, we have a brilliant end to the season to look forward to on Saturday and for now all focus will be on what I think could go down as one of the great European finals. The network continues to thrive with more rights than ever. I know I look forward to following its progress and the exciting future that lies ahead.

“For a football fan like me it's been a dream come true as I turn the page to the next chapter I carry with me countless memories.”

With his time working on TNT Sports almost over, Mirror Football takes a look at what the future holds for both Ferdinand and the broadcaster.

Future jobs and potential return

The reported in March that TNT bosses (formerly BT Sport) offered Ferdinand a contract extension at the end of his current deal, which he decided not to sign. Having been a lead voice on TNT’s coverage of Champions League football, Mirror Football understands there could still be opportunities for him to return as a special guest in the future, especially given that the broadcaster is set to have rights to the from next season.

Ferdinand was clear that he will now use his time to focus on other avenues, however, including his management firm 'New Era' and his blossoming production company which produces podcasts and interviews.

The Mail also reported that Ferdinand could now look to move into US football (soccer) coverage with his management company recently signing an agreement with William Morris Endeavor (WME), who represent a number of American celebrities such as Wrexham co-owner from their base in Beverly Hills.

There is certainly a growing demand for greats offering their insights in the US. The likes of , Thierry Henry and Micah Richards have been highly successful on their CBS show, while NBC Sports have brought in this season.

Ferdinand could be looking to follow suit, especially with the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico right on the horizon, which is set to bring a fresh audience to the sport in North America.

‘Quitting’ UK with wife

Ferdinand’s social media statement also indicated that his decision partly stemmed from wanting to spend more time with his family, having said: “I’m excited about what the future holds, spending more time with my family focusing on Presents and my other business interests.”

It follows a report from last month which suggested Ferdinand and his wife, Kate, are looking to move to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. It was claimed that the couple have already started looking at properties and schools in Dubai, having reportedly decided that now is the right time for them and their family to relocate.

They share two children together, while Kate is also a stepmother to the footballer's three children from his previous marriage to late wife Rebecca Ellison, who died from cancer in 2015. It was also claimed that they will travel back and forth to the UK to fulfil their work commitments, with Kate being the founder of podcast and online platform ‘blended’. However, those reported plans to quit the UK altogether have not been publicly confirmed by Ferdinand.

Hitting back at punditry criticism

Ferdinand’s outspoken nature as a pundit and vocal support for his former club, United, has sometimes drawn criticism from TNT Sports viewers. He was notably accused of bias by a fan for his commentary during the Reds' Champions League clash with in March, after he claimed Ibrahima Konate should have been shown a red card for a last-man challenge.

In a video posted on X, a Liverpool fan account posted a video in which he said: "Look, football fans have had enough of the likes of Ferdinand and others. They've had enough of bitter commentators not having any neutrality in the job that they're doing.

"You don't need people like Rio Ferdinand there commentating on a Liverpool game knowing that he doesn't want to see you do anything or win anything. He should be behind the English club. But as is always the case with these commentators, their previous bias creeps in. Let me just say this wholeheartedly, f*** you Rio."

Ferdinand wasted no time in responding to the foul-mouthed critique, writing: "I wasn’t on the gantry when Liverpool scored. Like in the 1st half where I left the commentary position to go back down Pitchside after 36 minutes. I was asked to do the same in the 2nd half prior to the goal. Thanks."

He and fellow TNT Sports pundit Robbie Savage were also slammed for celebrating in excited fashion in the commentary box after Manchester United recently overturned a 4-2 deficit in extra time to beat Lyon 5-4 in the .

Savage defended Ferdinand by saying: “Some of the comments questioned whether Rio’s contribution was impartial given his 455 appearances and 10 major trophies, including six titles, as a United player. But I defy anyone – whether you played the game for United or another club - not to be excited by such an extraordinary finish.

" is an emotional game, and if co-commentators convey their passion when they are watching something sensational, they are only reflecting what viewers are feeling in their armchairs at home. Whether or not you approved of our antics caught on the TNT ‘comms cam’, surely you can’t look at something so incredible and remain indifferent.

"Rio is a United legend who knows the club, how it works and who calls the shots. He is not going to sit on his hands and sound like he’s reading the shipping forecast when his old team goes from 4-2 down with six minutes left to a 5-4 win. It’s not bias, it’s human emotion."

Ferdinand and other pundits also came under fire for their strong criticism of the England men's national team’s performances at Euro 2024, where the Three Lions were lacklustre for much of the tournament despite reaching the final.

He said on an episode of : “If there’s been below par performances, there’s no way that you can expect anyone, us as pundits or fans, to sit there and go, ‘Well done guys – pat on the back.' I played in tournaments where we didn’t do well. I never expected anybody to then come out with positive comments. I don’t think in any industry you work in, if you don’t perform, that you’d expect anything other than criticism."

Hospitalised before Champions League night

Ferdinand was unfortunately unable to cover ’s Champions League visit to Paris Saint-Germain last month after being rushed to hospital. The Red Devils icon posted a selfie from a hospital bed on social media with the caption: “Gutted to be missing the Semi-Finals this week on @tntsportsfootball! Wishing the team all the best — I’ll be watching every minute from the iPad!"

Having received plenty of well-wishes from fans, the former centre-back later revealed he had suffered from a nasty virus, which made him think he was even going to die. Speaking on , he said: "I had a mad virus. I thought lights were out at some point, I thought it was gonna happen. I thought I was minutes away from lights out, seriously.

“I was in my house, I was in my bed like this [pained expression] and I couldn't even open my eyes. Then, the headache I had… I don't get migraines or nothing else so I don't know what they're like. I thought my head was in a vice and my eyes were going to pop out. Then, I was being sick, projectile vomiting in the toilet, I got back to bed and I was having vertigo. I was holding onto the sheets, I didn't know where I was. It was crazy."

He added: "I had to go to hospital and the doctor even said to me, 'Do you want an ambulance?' So that's when I knew. He went, 'We're going to get your brain scanned.' I thought it was a virus or a flu or something so when he mentioned brain scan and the ambulance, the panic was nuts. I went to hospital and I was in there for a few days. I couldn't even enjoy the hospital food. The soup and the ice cream normally does wonders."

What lies ahead for TNT?

Ferdinand’s departure means he will miss an exciting period at TNT Sports. The broadcaster announced in March that it will continue to show live and exclusive Premier League matches for another four years, through to the 2028/29 season, which extends its relationship with the English top flight to 16 years.

That will be alongside its other offerings, which includes the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Women’s Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and National League, domestic and European club rugby, MotoGP, NBA, and . BT Sport, as it was previously called, won exclusive rights to all live Champions League fixtures and highlights back in 2018.

Their current European football deal, which runs from 2024 until 2027, means they still hold exclusive rights to show the and . But for the Champions League, they are part of a trio of broadcasters for the first three seasons of the Champions League in its new format, alongside Amazon Prime and the . Amazon Prime get one match on Tuesdays, while the BBC have a highlights show once each matchweek.

Rio’s replacement

TNT Sports are likely to fill Ferdinand’s position in the coming months. One potential option is legend .

The Welshman recently worked alongside Ferdinand for the Europa League final, impressing with his input as his former side Spurs defeated Ferdinand’s beloved Manchester United.

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