Ole Gunnar Solskjaer disclosed that Cristiano Ronaldo voiced his dissatisfaction when he was benched upon returning to Manchester United, despite initially supporting the decision.
The 39-year-old Portuguese icon initially rose to fame at Old Trafford before departing for Real Madrid in a record-breaking deal.
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Solskjaer orchestrated Ronaldo’s return to United in the summer of 2021, but the reunion didn’t unfold as anticipated.
Ronaldo scored 24 goals in 38 matches during the 2021/22 season. However, Solskjaer was dismissed just months after bringing him back to the club. Under Erik ten Hag the following season, Ronaldo’s playing time was limited, leading to his departure from the club in less than 18 months.
Solskjaer, who has maintained a relatively low profile since departing United, has recently discussed his coaching experience with the multiple-time Ballon d’Or winner.
He revealed that Ronaldo had advised him before signing to rest him every four games, although Ronaldo reacted strongly when Solskjaer attempted to implement that plan.
Speaking on the Stick to Football Podcast, Solskjaer said: “Part of signing Cristiano Ronaldo was getting that passion from him, but that did have its complications.
“You’ve got Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, who can learn from Cristiano as he’s the best, the most disciplined and he’s been the best player in the world, and you think he’s going to help them.
“When he arrived at the club, he told me to start him for three games in a row, and then put me on the bench for the fourth game, but he’s so passionate so when I did that, he didn’t like it.”
He added: “With the ball, with him in the team, it was no problem. Without him [pressing], we had to change a little bit the different roles we’d gotten used to. We were one of the highest pressing teams before [Ronaldo joined].
“We let Dan James go when Cristiano came in, and they’re two different types of players. It was the right decision to make for me – it didn’t turn out to be the right one.”
Following the termination of his Manchester United contract six months prior, Ronaldo finalized a lucrative move to the Saudi Pro League by signing with Al-Nassr.
