Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has admitted that it was a mistake to re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus in 2021.
United completed a fairytale comeback for Ronaldo, who had initially departed Old Trafford to join Real Madrid in 2009 for a then-world-record fee of £80million.
Ronaldo’s time in Spain was extremely successful, winning two La Liga titles, four Champions League trophies, and adding four more Ballon d’Or awards.
After his stint at Juventus, Ronaldo emotionally returned to Manchester United.
However, Solskjaer’s departure in November 2021 led to Ronaldo’s fortunes at United deteriorating under new boss Erik ten Hag, who preferred alternative options in attack.
This strained relationship led to Ronaldo granting a controversial interview to Piers Morgan, criticizing Ten Hag and accusing the club of betrayal.
Subsequently, Ronaldo’s contract was mutually terminated, and he signed with Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.
Speaking at the Oslo Business Forum, Solskjaer confessed that bringing Ronaldo back was a mistake, influenced by the fear of losing him to Manchester City.
Solskjaer stated, “He did well. He was top scorer that year, but I was out of the job 10 weeks later!”
🗣️ “Maybe other players felt less important”
Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes that in hindsight, signing Cristiano Ronaldo may have been a mistake during his time at the club 🔴 pic.twitter.com/LnKQ36KEcx
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 27, 2024
Meanwhile, Solskjaer has expressed interest in returning to manage United once more.
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