Cristiano Ronaldo warned that Manchester United require a total rebuild after Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s investment in the club, and he addressed his acrimonious exit.
With Ratcliffe having acquired a 27.7% stake of United earlier this year, Ronaldo is upbeat about the team’s future but warns that returning to the top tier of club football will require patience.
“They [United] need to rebuild everything, in my opinion,” Cristiano Ronaldo said.
“This club needs time to rebuild because it’s still one of the best clubs in the world, but they need to change. They understand that. This is the only way … They’re investing in the training ground … So I’m happy because [things are changing]. I believe that the future will be bright.
“They have to rebuild from the bottom. If not, they cannot compete. It will be impossible. They can do good things, yes, they can win Carabao, yeah, but I mean, Champions League or Europa League or Premier League — difficult, in my opinion. And I wish that I’m wrong, I wish, but [it] will be difficult.” Cristiano Ronaldo added
The 36-year-old moved to Saudi Arabia after the exit and has played a significant role with Al Nassr, though he has yet to lift any titles in the Gulf nation.
“I’m not happy the way it all [happened], but in the same way, we cannot control some points of our life sometimes,”Cristiano Ronaldo stated.
“To prove that I’m right or wrong, this is not my issue anymore.”
Cristiano Ronaldo parted company with the Manchester club by mutual consent following an explosive interview with Piers Morgan in which he criticised the club for failing to invest in the 13 years since he first left Old Trafford.
Source: ESPN