Cristiano Ronaldo has been a big name for Manchester United. A player who had made the club proud by lifting the Ballon d’Or and winning several accolades both on the club level and on an individual level.
Although it was just one of his five golden titles, the Portuguese ruled the Premier League under Sir Alex Ferguson. Before departing for Real Madrid in 2009, the young attacker had already won three Premier League titles, a Champions League trophy, and numerous other domestic titles.
The Red Devils found him, made him one of the best, and gave the world a player who soon turned into one of the greatest players to ever play the sport. Ronaldo’s transfer to Real Madrid was perfect for him as he was heading towards his prime years, and the Santiago Bernabeu was a perfect destination for the striker.
Ronaldo worked out his magic in Spain for nine years, scoring 450 goals for one of the best teams in the world and winning four Ballon d’Or titles in the process. Not to forget the record number of Champions League titles won by him under Zinedine Zidane.
The former United star had already climbed the scoring charts for club and country. The 37-year-old soon joined Juventus, and he contributed massively to the Italian side as he scored a century of goals for them.
Ronaldo soon became the greatest international goalscorer and also surpassed Josef Bican to etch his name in the record books. It’s a dream for any player to score the highest number of goals in the history of the game.
Cristiano Ronaldo was already living the dream before departing Juventus for a fresh challenge somewhere else. Many expected him to return to Madrid, while some hinted a move to United or Manchester City was close.
While many teams were in the race, not every club was willing to take the risk to cover Ronaldo’s exorbitant asking price. Only a few elite clubs could meet his demands, and links to the Etihad Stadium started getting stronger.
Pep Guardiola would have loved to have such a mighty figure in the dressing room, but the Portuguese didn’t want to betray his former club by signing for a fierce rival. Under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson, Cristiano Ronaldo shocked the world when he re-joined Manchester United in August 2021.
Last year’s summer transfer window was already a mammoth one for the Red Devils as they signed Ronaldo along with his former Champions League-winning teammate Raphael Varane.
The fans were ecstatic to watch their legendary player in the red shirt again. However, whether Ronaldo knew about the Sporting project at Old Trafford was still a question lingering on his mind.
Was he ready to face the consequences at Manchester United?
United had been in a slump since Jose Mourinho’s departure, with no titles. They have been unable to dominate the Premier League since Sir Alex Ferguson left. Ronaldo followed his heart by moving to Old Trafford, but what he saw was something he never dreamed of.
A club that was below par and playing well at their lowest standards. A team was heading towards the dark side, a tunnel where there was no light.
Ronaldo joined forces with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and scored 24 goals in his debut campaign. He marked his return by scoring a brace against Newcastle United, which the team won by a 4-1 scoreline.
However, the club never rose under Solskjaer, and they kept falling into the ditch. United finished outside the top four of the league and was forced to play in the Europa League. Not to mention that it was the veteran forward’s first appearance in UEL.
Soon the board decided to sack Ole and move on to a new era by roping in Ralf Rangnick. However, his short tenure didn’t bear any fruit, and he left after just six months at the helm. In his recent interview, Ronaldo did express his dissatisfaction with the club’s decision to hire the German manager, as he felt that he was not even fit to be called a manager.
The Old Trafford club signed Erik ten Hag in the hope that the new Ajax manager will improve the club’s mood. The United fans were livid by the glazer’s lack of involvement in club-related matters and his zero investment in building a squad for the future, one that would compete for titles.
The glory of the club was at stake, and Ronaldo was there to witness his club’s downfall right before his eyes. But Ten Hag has been able to build the club brick by brick through his first summer transfer window.
The board decided to splash huge sums of money and bring in top-class players to the club. Still, nothing was planned around the Portuguese striker, and many forced Ronaldo to leave the club.
The 37-year-old blamed the manager, the board, and several others for making life difficult for him at the club. Ten Hag began benching Ronaldo as he formed his ideal attacking unit with Marcus Rashford, Antony Martial, and Jadon Sancho.
Ronaldo was seen warming the bench, and the fans were never able to witness the legendary player on the field from the first whistle of the game. Although he did get his chances in the Europa League, it was not something a world-class player like him would expect.
As the club started losing games, all the blame was shifted on the star striker and his inability to deliver. The criticism towards him never stopped, and in fact, he started to become a central figure whenever United lost a game or performed badly.
Erik ten Hag tried to defend his player, and it seemed that he wanted the player to leave as it was difficult for him to play at his beloved club. Out of respect for the striker, the gaffer defended the striker in crucial games, but the board had already done the damage by forcing him to leave in the summer.
Manchester United extracted the profits from his shirt sales, advertising, and everything else they received from Ronaldo’s huge status in the outside world. The Portuguese finally broke their silence and spoke about the entire matter in an exclusive interview with Piers Morgan.
In an exclusive interview with Morgan, he said:
"Since Sir Alex Ferguson left I saw no evolution in the club, the progress was zero."
Don't miss Piers Morgan's 90 Minutes with Ronaldo. Wednesday and Thursday at 8pm on TalkTV.@cristiano | @piersmorgan | @TalkTV | #PMU pic.twitter.com/VextyEu7f9
— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) November 13, 2022
While speaking about the club’s attempt to force him to transfer:
“Yes [they are trying to force Ronaldo out], not only the coach but the other two or three guys there around the club. Yes [at a senior executive level]. I felt betrayed. I felt that some people don’t want me here, not only this year but last year too.”
While speaking about Erik ten Hag: “I don’t have respect for him because he doesn’t show respect for me. If you don’t have respect for me, I’m never gonna have respect for you.”
While speaking about Ralf Rangnick’s appointment by Manchester United: “If you’re not even a coach, how are you going to be the boss of Manchester United? I’d never even heard of him. When you sack Ole Gunnar Solskjær, you should bring a top manager, not a sports director. I love Solskjær – I never saw Rangnick as the boss because I saw some points that I never agreed.”
On Wayne Rooney criticizing the forward: “I don’t know why he criticises me so badly. Probably because he finished his career and I’m still playing at [a] high level. I’m not going to say that I’m looking better than him. Which is true.”
“I followed my heart. He [Ferguson] said to me: ‘It’s impossible for you to come to Manchester City, and I said, ‘OK, Boss’.”
“The progress was zero. Since Sir Alex left, I saw no evolution in the club. Nothing had changed. I think the fans should know the truth. I want the best for the club. This is why I come to Manchester United.”
On the difference between United and the best clubs in England:
“But you have some things inside that don’t help [us] reach the top level as City, Liverpool and even now Arsenal… a club with this dimension should be top of the tree in my opinion and they are not, unfortunately. As Picasso said, you have to destroy it to rebuild it and if they start with me, for me, it’s not a problem. I love Manchester United, I love the fans, they’re always on my side. But if they want to do it differently… they have to change many, many things.”
On Sir Alex Ferguson’s advice for a change at the club: “He knows better than anybody that the club is not on the path they deserve to be. He knows. Everyone knows. The people who don’t see that… it’s because they don’t want to see; they are blind.”
“I really thought everything would have changed after 13 years. But then I was surprised – in a bad way. Everything was the same. Also, it seems that young players of the new generation don’t care. Diogo Dalot for sure, he’ll have a great career with longevity. Also Martinez and Casemiro. But yes, Dalot is a top professional.”
“I was close to joining Manchester City in 2021. I was surprised — as they tried hard to sign me. But my heart, my history with Man United, Sir Alex Ferguson made the difference. The heart was speaking loud at that moment.”
Cristiano Ronaldo’s words were dreadful to hear for the board and the management would take an action against him. But does that hide the fact that he spoke the truth, a truth that was always hidden behind closed doors?
The board would never take the blame nor will Ronaldo for his words. The Red Devils are heading towards a new era under Erik ten Hag, but Ronaldo’s words have frozen the entire dressing room.
Some may go against him and some may follow him but deep inside, the fans will never learn the entire story. Who should be blamed for this? After all, Ronaldo has played his last game for the club and would never return to the Old Trafford pitch again.
It is a pity that his time at the club has fallen to such an extent but his love for the club, his emotions for Manchester United and towards its fans will remain forever.
