Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has opened up about his decision to bring Cristiano Ronaldo back to Manchester United during his tenure as manager, confirming suspicions many fans had about the Portuguese star’s return to Old Trafford.
Ronaldo initially made his mark at United after transferring from Sporting Lisbon in 2003 for over £12 million, stepping in as a replacement for David Beckham.
Under Sir Alex Ferguson, he secured three Premier League titles, the Champions League, and his first Ballon d’Or before departing for Real Madrid in 2009 for a then-world record fee of £80 million.
At Real Madrid, Ronaldo solidified his legacy, winning two La Liga titles, four more Champions League trophies, and an additional four Ballon d’Ors. Following a successful stint at Juventus, where he clinched two Serie A titles after a €100 million move, Ronaldo made an emotional return to Manchester United in the summer of 2021, reuniting with his former teammate Solskjaer.
However, Ronaldo’s second tenure at United didn’t replicate the success of his first. His time at the club ended abruptly under Erik ten Hag following a controversial interview with Piers Morgan, in which he criticized several aspects of the club.
After mutually agreeing to terminate his contract, the now 39-year-old joined Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. Solskjaer, who left United in November 2021 after a series of poor results, has now provided insights into Ronaldo’s impact.
Speaking at the Oslo Business Forum, Solskjaer revealed that United brought Ronaldo back to prevent him from joining rivals Manchester City but admitted that the move might have disrupted the team’s dynamics, with some players feeling overshadowed. “Cristiano, one of the best players in the world over the past 15 years, had a history with Manchester United.
He was leaving Juventus, but we couldn’t allow him to go to Manchester City,” Solskjaer explained. “He probably would have scored more goals than Erling Haaland is scoring now.” He added, “I spoke to Cristiano, we brought him back to United, but I think it may have affected the dressing room.
Other players might have felt less important because he is, of course, one of the biggest superstars in the world.” Although Solskjaer acknowledged Ronaldo’s contribution, highlighting that he was the club’s top scorer that season with 24 goals, he reflected, “I was out of a job 10 weeks later.
Since leaving United, Solskjaer has not returned to football management but has expressed interest in coming back to Old Trafford in some capacity. Meanwhile, Ronaldo’s contract with Al Nassr is set to expire next year.
