- Man United beat competition from Man City to sign Cristiano Ronaldo in 2021
- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says the Portuguese star had a bad effect in the dressing room
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Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed that the decision to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus in 2021 was a mistake, admitting it was done to stop him joining Manchester City.
The Red Devils secured a fairytale return for the Portuguese striker, who had initially left for Real Madrid in an £80million deal in 2009, after beating off competition from Pep Guardiola’s side.
The veteran enjoyed an incredible first season in the Premier League, scoring 24 goals in 18 games in all competitions.
But Ronaldo went from being United’s talisman under Solskjaer to a pariah under his successor Erik ten Hag, who repeatedly left him out of his starting team.
The legendary five-time Ballon d’Or winner was criticized for storming out of Old Trafford before the end of a match.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed that the decision to sign Cristiano Ronaldo in 2021 was a mistake
The Red Devils secured a fairytale comeback for Ronaldo, beating competition from Man City
Solskjaer claimed that Ronaldo would have scored more goals than Erling Haaland if he had joined City
Amid widespread speculation Ronaldo could end his spell early, he pushed for self-destruction by participating in a sensational tell-all interview with Piers Morgan in November 2022, where he claimed he felt “betrayed” by the club, while saying that ‘I don’t respect’ Ten Hag.
Solskjaer, speaking at the Oslo Business Forum, admitted there were fears Ronaldo would have “scored more goals than Erling Haaland” if he had gone to the Etihad.
The Norwegian coach, however, admitted that Ronaldo’s arrival affected the United dressing room as some players “felt less important.”
Solskjaer said: ‘Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the best players in the world in the last 15 years. I played with him. He played for Manchester United. He has history at the club and is leaving Juventus, but we can’t hand him to Manchester City because he will probably score more goals than Erling Haaland at the moment.
“So I talk to Cristiano. We took him to Man United, but I think maybe that affected the whole dressing room, the dynamic in the dressing room.
“Maybe other players felt less important because of course this is one of the global superstars coming in.”
‘He did well. He was the top scorer that year, he scored 24 goals or something, but I was out of a job 10 weeks later!
Solskjaer was a popular figure at United after stabilizing the club from Jose Mourinho’s turbulent reign.
The Norwegian coach also claims that Ronaldo had a negative effect on the United dressing room
The club legend initially took over on an interim basis, before being given the role permanently.
Solskjaer was eventually sacked in November 2021 and initially replaced by Ralf Rangnick, with Ten Hag taking over the following summer.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo agreed to leave United by mutual consent midway through his second season, just weeks after giving his explosive interview, with the club confirming the news in a 67-word statement.
Just over a month later, Ronaldo would land a spectacular £175m-a-year contract with Saudi side Al-Nassr, kicking off a revolution of high-profile players joining him in the country’s top division for huge sums. sums of money. money.
