Cristiano Ronaldo revealed Alex Ferguson convinced him to re-join Manchester United, but the legendary former manager knows there has been “zero progress” since his departure from Old Trafford.
Ronaldo has been the subject of a great deal of scrutiny this season, having pushed for a move away from United prior to the campaign while subsequently falling out of favour with new manager Erik ten Hag.
Although heavily linked with a move to rivals Manchester City, the Portugal skipper returned to Old Trafford in August 2021 on the advice of his former boss, who he revealed is in agreement the club has stalled since the Scotsman’s retirement in 2013.
in a wide-ranging interview with Piers Morgan Uncensored, Ronaldo also questioned the Red Devils’ decision to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with Ralf Rangnick last season, while admitting a new direction is essential.
“I followed my heart,” he said. “[Sir Alex] said to me, ‘It’s impossible for you to come to Manchester City,’ and I said, ‘Okay, Boss.’
“I feel betrayed.”
EXCLUSIVE: Cristiano Ronaldo tells Piers Morgan he feels like he’s being forced out of Manchester United in an explosive interview.
90 Minutes with Ronaldo. Wednesday and Thursday at 8pm on TalkTV.@cristiano | @piersmorgan | @TalkTV | #PMU pic.twitter.com/nqp4mcXHB0
— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) November 13, 2022
“Since Sir Alex left, I saw no evolution in the club. The progress was zero. After sacking Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer], they bring in sport director Ralf Rangnick, which is something nobody understands. This guy is not even a coach.
“A big club like Manchester United bringing in a sporting director surprised not only me, but all the world.”
He continued: “I think the fans should know the truth. I want the best for the club. This is why I come to Manchester United.
“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 different, they have to change many, many things.
“He [Sir Alex] knows. Everyone knows. The people who don’t see that, it’s because they don’t want to see; they are blind.”