Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed his sadness at his former club, saying Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim will not be able to create miracles at Old Trafford.
Amorim marked his first year at the club by leading United to three successive wins for the first time since taking over at Old Trafford before Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest.
It has been a turbulent year for the Portuguese manager, as Manchester United finished 14th in the Premier League last season, their worst result, and lost in the Europa League final, ending the season without a trophy and missing out on Europe.
United have shown some positive signs recently, but Ronaldo remains concerned about the current state of the club.
“He (Amorim) is doing his best,” Ronaldo said on Piers Morgan Uncensored.
“What are you going to do? A miracle? Miracles are impossible. In Portugal, they say miracles can only be found in Fatima.
“We don’t try to do miracles, and neither do the players. Manchester United have good players, but some of them don’t have heart. What is Manchester United about?”
The Al Nasr forward spoke to Morgan three years after the bombshell interview that ultimately brought a bitter end to his second season at Old Trafford. In 2022, Ronaldo infamously criticized then-head coach Erik ten Hag of the club’s hierarchy and criticized the club’s facilities, leading to his move to the Saudi Professional League.
Despite people’s perceptions of United, Ronaldo, who has represented United 346 times and scored 145 goals in two years, says he remains in love with the club. However, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner suggests the club still needs to find a structure that works.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Sky Sports’ Danial Khan looks at the statistical differences between Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United side and former manager Erik ten Hag’s team from last season.
“It’s a shame because this club is one of the most important clubs in the world and it’s still a club that’s close to my heart. There’s a clear reason why we have to get together with intelligent people, smart people to build the foundations for our future as Manchester United.
“Years ago, Nicky Butt, Gary Neville, Roy Keane and (David) Beckham became big players but they had a youth.
“So Manchester United are not structured right now. I hope that changes between now and the future because the potential of the club is amazing. Manchester United is one of the most important clubs of this century.”
Ronaldo first signed for United in 2003 and began a legendary career that saw him win his first Ballon d’Or and the first of his five Champions Leagues while at Old Trafford.
The 40-year-old would go on to win three league titles with United before completing a then world record move to Real Madrid in 2009. The Portugal captain made a dramatic comeback under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2021, but despite scoring 27 goals in 54 games since his return, his return is largely seen as a failure.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Speaking on the ‘One on One’ podcast, Amorim talks about how the team is doing, the support he has received from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and more.
Asked if he still has United’s results and whether they cause him any sadness, Ronaldo replied: “Of course, because I was a player there. Years ago, I won the Champions League there.”
“I won the Golden Ball, I won 12, 13 and 14 titles there. So, as I say again and again, Manchester United is still in my heart and I love that club.”
“But we all have to be honest and look at ourselves and say, listen, they’re not on a good path, so they need to change. And it’s not just about coaches and players, in my opinion.”
Ronaldo plans to retire ‘soon’
Ronaldo says he may retire from active duty soon
Ronaldo, who turns 41 in February, also revealed that he plans to retire “soon” and predicts he will “probably cry” when the time comes.
Al Nasr’s Portugal forward has scored 952 goals in his career so far and is aiming for 1,000 before he retires.
When asked when he would think about retiring, Ronaldo replied: “Soon. But I think I will be ready.”
“Of course it’s going to be hard. I’m probably going to cry, yes… I’m an open person. It’s going to be very, very difficult, yes.
“But I’ve been preparing my future since I was 25, 26, 27 years old. I think I can withstand that pressure.”
Neville: ‘Manchester United’s aging backbone should be better’
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Watch for free: Premier League highlights from Nottingham Forest vs. Manchester United
Gary Neville believes Manchester United’s experienced players “have to do better” to support Amorim’s side.
Speaking on Overlap and Betfair’s Stick to Cricket, Neville said: “I think the backbone of a football team is very important. When I first joined Manchester United, our backbone was (Peter) Schmeichel, (Steve) Bruce, (Gary) Pallister, (Roy) Keane, (Eric) Cantona, so we were all spread around that.”
“I think[Harry]Maguire and[Matthejs]de Ligt should have done a lot better than them, you can see with the experience that those two have had.
“De Ligt has played a ton of games at the highest level, Harry has played a number of times for England, they play in midfield and Casemiro and Bruno[Fernandes]have a lot of experience.
“I’ve said it before, they don’t have the experience. But for me, Bruno, Casemiro, Maguire and De Ligt have aging spines, but they should be much better than them in terms of putting everything together.”
“That’s why I think Liverpool are good because they have Alisson, they have Van Dijk, they have Mac Allister and Grabenbirch in midfield and obviously the centre-forwards they have.”
