Cristiano Ronaldo says Manchester United and manager Erik ten Hag must “rebuild everything” in order to compete with football’s elite again.
The 39-year-old spent two spells at Old Trafford, with his most recent ending in November 2022 after an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
At the time, Ronaldo stated he had nothing to prove to anyone, expressing feelings of betrayal by United. He also claimed he was being pushed out, voiced his lack of respect for Ten Hag, and accused the Glazer family of not caring about the club.
Two years later, the Portugal international has told former team-mate Rio Ferdinand on the Presents Podcast: “To prove that I’m right or wrong, this is not my issue anymore. I say what I have to say and for me it’s done.
“When I’m back there (at United), I was very happy. I was one of the best scorers. I did unbelievable things with the club. My first season at 37, I was the third best scorer of the league. I scored in all the group stage (in the Champions League). I scored every game. Even in the league, I scored 17 goals or 18 goals. I did amazing.
“But as I told you, Manchester, they need to rebuild everything, in my opinion. The coach, they say they cannot compete to win the league and Champions League. (As) Manchester United coach, you cannot say that you’re not going to fight to win the league or Champions League. You have to be, to mentally say, listen, maybe we don’t have that potential, but I cannot say that. We’re going to try. You have to try.”
Ronaldo left United in 2022 (Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Despite winning two trophies, the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024, Ten Hag remains under pressure at United, having finished eighth in the Premier League last season. He has since seen his United contract extended until June 2026 after the club’s new co-owners, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS football hierarchy, decided to keep him in his post following an end-of-season review.
United have begun their new Premier League season with one win and two defeats, opening with a victory over Fulham before suffering back-to-back losses against Brighton and Liverpool.
“This club (Manchester United) needs time to rebuild because it’s still one of the best clubs in the world, but they need to change,” Ronaldo continued. “They understand that. This is the only way. This is why they show, they start to change again, the structure of the club, the president, the infrastructures and everything.
“The owners of the club. They’re investing in the training ground… So I’m happy because (things are changing), I’m not happy the way it all happen, but in the same way, we cannot control some points of our life sometimes, but it’s done, already done.”
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Former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, meanwhile, joined Ten Hag’s coaching staff in July.
Ronaldo played with Van Nistelrooy during his first spell at the club and he believes that the former Netherlands international can help restore United to their former glories.
“If Ten Hag listens to Ruud, maybe he can (make United better),” Ronaldo added. “I think it can help a lot because he knows the club and the club should listen to the guys who were there. You (Rio) or Roy Keane or Paul Scholes or Gary Neville, whatever, Sir Alex Ferguson. You cannot rebuild a club without knowledge. Not guys who work in office. They understand. I understand a lot of football because I see football in the television every day.
“The people who understand the football, it was, 99 per cent (of) the people who was there in the dressing room, who was a player, who was the most successful coaches in the world. (Pep) Guardiola, Ferguson, they were players before, they were in the dressing room. They understand. They know how to deal with the players. It’s the people who understand these things.
“So I believe that Ruud is going to help because he was inside the club. He knows the club. He knows the fans. If the coach listens to him, I think they can improve a little bit the club.”
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(Top photo: Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images)
