Cristiano Ronaldo has been backed to make a shock return to Manchester United in the future, despite leaving in acrimonious circumstances almost two years ago.
That's according to RonaldoFormer teammate of Luis SahaThe pair played together at Old Trafford for four years and the former striker is convinced he knows why Ronaldo would return, but not as a player.
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“Cristiano Ronaldo has the passion and dedication to return Manchester United “One day I could be a coach or even a manager,” Saha told TVSporten.
“His second term did not end as everyone expected and one can understand why that frustrated him.
“He didn't see the same formula or the passion from the young players that he was used to seeing.
“Now he will know that he needs to find a new way of communicating when he is a coach, which may not be as harsh or as direct as it was when he was at the club.
“He will figure out how to be successful and use all his knowledge to achieve that – we've seen Roy Keane become a manager and be successful.
“Cristiano will understand what he has to do as a coach and I see no reason why he won't be successful.”
Ronaldo has revealed in the past that he will not be pursuing a career in coaching. In 2019, when he was still at Juventus, he detailed his lack of interest in ending up on the bench, although he did not appear to close the door completely.
“I'm not interested in coaching right now, but maybe one day I'll get bored and fancy it,” he told DAZN Italia. “Never say never.”
Ronaldo first signed for Manchester United in 2003 for just £12m and went on to become one of the best players in the world.
He won three Premier League titles, the Champions League and his first Ballon d'Or before joining Real Madrid in a world-record transfer.
Cristiano Ronaldo's career honours
- Premier League (x3): 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09
- UEFA Champions League (x5): 2007/08, 2013/14, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
- UEFA Champions League top scorer (x7): 2007/08, 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
- FIFA Ballon d'Or (x5): 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017
- Premier League Player of the Season (x2): 2006/07, 2007/08
The Portuguese superstar became a global icon in Madrid's famous white, breaking many records along the way.
He would later re-sign for Manchester United in 2021 from Juventus, and initially enjoyed a strong start.
During his first season, he scored 24 goals in 38 appearances in all competitions. He also reached 800 career goals after scoring two in a 3-2 home league win against Arsenal in December 2021.
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Erik the HagRonaldo's arrival at the club in 2022, replacing Ralf Rangnick, created tension. Ronaldo was not happy with the signing of the Dutchman.
Just before the 2022 World Cup, Ronaldo released a very controversial interview with Piers Morgan.
One of the standout quotes from the interview was when Ronaldo said: “I have no respect for him because he has no respect for me.”
The interview marked the end of his time at Old Trafford for the second time.
The 39-year-old mutually agreed to terminate his contract when he joined AL-Nassr in January 2023.
Ronaldo received the highest salary in football history, 200 million euros per year.
In February 2023, Ronaldo scored his 500th league goal in a 4–0 win over Al Wehda.
In May this year, Ronaldo scored his 34th and 35th league goals of the season, setting a record for the most goals scored in a single Saudi Pro League campaign.
He also became the first player to finish as top scorer in four different leagues.
