Ex-Manchester United manager Solskjaer on re-signing Cristiano Ronaldo

“It turned out wrong” Ex-Manchester United manager on re-signing Cristiano Ronaldo

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Manchester United re-signing Cristiano Ronaldo was one of the most dramatic transfers and Solskjaer, the manager at that time felt it was a wrong decision.

Cristiano Ronaldo is undoubtedly one of the greatest players to have played this game. He is a Manchester United legend. He won his first Ballon d’Or and UEFA Champions League when he was at Manchester United from 2003 to 2009. He had already cemented his legacy at Old Trafford as a legend of the club.

Thus, when he decided to leave Juventus and was looking for a new club, with Manchester City in the mix of signing a United legend, Manchester United had to swoop in. The thought of watching Cristiano Ronaldo wearing a Man City jersey was terrifying for all United fans. That is why back then when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manchester United manager at that time, was asked about whether he would re-sign Ronaldo, he said that the door is always open for Ronaldo.

Solskjær: “Bringing Cristiano Ronaldo back was a decision that was difficult to turn down and I felt we had to take it, but it turned out wrong”. 🔴🇵🇹

“It felt so right when he signed and the fans felt that at Newcastle game, when Old Trafford was… rocking!”, via The Athletic. pic.twitter.com/9VRK2egnmJ
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 20, 2023

Lots of things have happened since then. Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United and Solskjaer was sacked as the manager of the club. However, a decision that made sense to Solskjaer at that point in time ‘turned out wrong’ for the Norwegian manager.

Yes, it was a wrong decision for Ronaldo as well. However, he scored 28 goals in that season. Solskjaer also revealed that the game where Ronaldo returned and made his second debut for United against Newcastle, Old Trafford was ‘rocking’.

Although things didn’t turn out what fans imagined, United fans will still get goosebumps while remembering that game where Ronaldo scored a brace to help United secure a 4-1 win over the Magpies. Solskjaer believes that re-signing Ronaldo was a decision that United ‘had to take’.

Do you think Manchester United did the right thing by re-signing Cristiano Ronaldo or should they have let him sign for Manchester City?

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