Former Man United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has reflected on the ‘sad’ and ‘sour’ end to Cristiano Ronaldo‘s second spell at United – but insisted the club made the ‘right decision’ to bring him back from Juventus in 2021.
The Red Devils secured a fairytale comeback for the Portuguese forward, who had initially left for Real Madrid in an £80million deal in 2009, and the veteran enjoyed an incredible first season back in the Premier League as he thumped in 24 goals in 18 games in all competitions.
But Ronaldo went from being United’s talisman under Solskjaer to an outcast under his successor Erik ten Hag, who repeatedly left him out of his starting XIs, before the legendary five-time Ballon d’Or winner came under fire for storming out of Old Trafford early before the end of games.
Amid huge speculation Ronaldo could end his spell early, pressed self-destruct by taking part in a sensational tell-all interview with Piers Morgan in November 2022, where he claimed he felt ‘betrayed’ by the club – while saying he ‘doesn’t respect’ Ten Hag.
But despite the toxic ending to Ronaldo’s spell, Solskjaer believes the club made the right call the bring him back after the ‘unbelievable’ scenes that his initial move brought.
Ex-Man United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has reflected on the ‘sad’ end to Cristiano Ronaldo’s time at the club
Ronaldo went from top scorer in his first season back to an outcast under Erik ten Hag
‘Cristiano wanted to leave Juventus but we didn’t think it was possible to bring him back. We had built a squad without Cristiano,’ Solskjaer told the Times of India. ‘And then when this opportunity came, I think everyone in the world thought it’s going to be fantastic. And he had a good season. I think he scored 28 goals.
‘His first outing on return was against Newcastle. I think there have not been many days at Old Trafford that have seen a better vibe. And it was an unbelievable thing. So, it’s about giving people memories. That’s a memory for everyone who was there, and that he came back after having been the best player in the world for so many years.’
Solskjaer – who was sacked by United in November 2021 – midway through Ronaldo’s first season back – hailed the player’s attitude and rued how things turned ‘sour’ for Ronaldo, being left frustrated to see how things fell apart after he himself had left the club.
‘I love Cristiano’s professional attitude. But it didn’t work out for him,’ he added. ‘It didn’t work out for me. It didn’t work out for the team, unfortunately. But at that moment, it was the right decision to welcome him back to Old Trafford. That’s life. We made a decision.’
Solskjaer hailed Ronaldo’s attitude and insisted re-signing him was the ‘right decision’
Ronaldo’s explosive interview with Piers Morgan in November 2022 effectively sealed his exit from Old Trafford before joining Al-Nassr
‘So, unfortunately, after I left, it turned sour with Cristiano. It was sad to see from the outside.’
Solskjaer was a popular figure at United after stabilising the club from the turbulent reign of Jose Mourinho, but failed to improve United as a whole before being replaced by Ralf Rangnick initially, and with Ten Hag taking over the following summer.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, 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 secure an eye-watering £175m-a-year deal with Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr – kicking off a revolution of high-profile players who would join him in the country’s top division for vast sums of money.
