Cristiano Ronaldo is back at Old Trafford after agreeing to return to Manchester United, a move that came at the heels of Lionel Messi transferring to Paris Saint-Germain.
Ronaldo saw his stardom rise during his stint with The Red Devils from 2003 to 2009, helping the team become a perennial contender. He joined Real Madrid for a then-record transfer fee of over $111 million. In 2018, he made another big move by signing with Juventus. But despite switching squads, the star striker always had a deep respect for Manchester United.
In a report by ESPN, this was highlighted when he was playing with Juventus. Citing an unnamed source, Ronaldo apparently didn't appreciate one incident involving then-Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho.
Article Continues Below“We had just beaten Juventus with two late goals and Jose Mourinho, the manager at the time, went onto the pitch and started to goad the Juventus fans by cupping his ear to the noise. A lot of the players were pissed off with (Mourinho) because it seemed like he was making the win about him rather than the team and Cristiano was furious with him, too. He walked past and said, ‘(Mourinho) doesn't have the class to manage Manchester United.”'
Mourinho didn't stay long with Manchester United, spending only three seasons.
As for Cristiano Ronaldo, his undying esteem for the historic club was once again proven as he picked Manchester United over bitter rival Manchester City. He needed prodding from his former teammates and legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson, but eventually, he made the right decision.