OGS: RONALDO MOVE DIDN'T WORK
Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed that signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus in 2021 was a mistake, admitting that the club brought him back primarily to prevent him from joining Manchester City.
The move was initially seen as a fairytale return for Ronaldo, who left United for Real Madrid in 2009 in an £80 million transfer.
United secured Ronaldo’s return, beating out competition from Pep Guardiola's City side. Ronaldo enjoyed a strong start during his comeback season, scoring an impressive 24 goals in 18 games across all competitions. However, his second stint at Old Trafford took a downward turn as he went from being United's talisman under Solskjaer to becoming an outcast under his successor, Erik ten Hag. The Portuguese star was often left out of starting XIs, and controversies arose when he stormed out of Old Trafford early on multiple occasions.
Amid speculation of an early exit, Ronaldo further strained his relationship with the club by participating in a bombshell interview with Piers Morgan in November 2022. In the interview, he claimed he felt "betrayed" by Manchester United and openly criticized Ten Hag, saying he "doesn't respect" the manager.
Reflecting on the decision to sign Ronaldo, Solskjaer admitted it may have disrupted the team's dynamic. “Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the best players in the world for the last 15 years. I played with him. He played for Manchester United. He has history with the club, and he's leaving Juventus. But we cannot give him to Manchester City because he will score more goals than Erling Haaland is doing at the moment, probably,” Solskjaer explained.
The Norwegian manager confessed that bringing Ronaldo back affected the dressing room's atmosphere. "Maybe other players felt less important because, of course, this is one of the world superstars that comes in. He did well. He was top scorer that year, scored 24 goals or something, but I was out of the job 10 weeks later!” Solskjaer said.
Solskjaer even speculated that if Ronaldo had gone to City, he would have "scored more goals than Erling Haaland." Despite Ronaldo's individual success during that season, Solskjaer's tenure came to an end just 10 weeks into Ronaldo's return. The club, which had seen some stabilization during Solskjaer's time following Jose Mourinho's turbulent reign, failed to maintain consistent improvement and he was eventually replaced by Ralf Rangnick, followed by Ten Hag the following summer.
Ronaldo’s second spell at United ultimately left the club in a complex situation. While his arrival initially brought excitement and an uptick in performances, it also created tension within the squad, ultimately leading to Solskjaer's departure and a period of instability.