Has Cristiano Ronaldo Ruined his Triumphant Legacy in Manchester United?

Matheus Severine

Cristiano Ronaldo, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, has had a glittering career, establishing himself as one of the best players of his generation. The 37-year-old is frequently compared to long-time rival Lionel Messi in the topic of being crowned the greatest of all time.

Ronaldo has many admirers in the football world, and the Manchester United star is recognized worldwide as one of the greatest players of all time. Regardless of your point of view, there's no denying the Portuguese ace's credentials. Ronaldo's goal-scoring achievements have elevated him to legendary status, boosting him to numerous trophies throughout his career, such as being a five times Champions League champion, and many more. .

Cristiano keeps elevating his standards every single year, even in his final years of competitive rivalry. He passed the 800-goal record this year, becoming the all-time top goalscorer. This season, he also recorded his 60th career hat trick, becoming an absolute legend in the game, which is such an incredible mark that only a few players manage to get near this record.

Since Cristiano Ronaldo's last formal interview, conducted by the British broadcaster Piers Morgan on his streaming at "Talk TV," it is obvious that the Portuguese superstar has not had a stunning comeback with Manchester United since his return to Old Trafford last year.

Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Manchester United last season and was a significant game-changer player in the team's performance in 2021-2022. With Ralf Rangnick as Manchester United's coach, Ronaldo was the unquestionable leader and star player who helped the

team qualify for the Europa League last season. Notwithstanding, Eric Ten Hag's arrival completely altered how the group performed and the new signings of the club, making Ronaldo a bench player in the squad.

Following Erik Ten Hag's arrival as the new coach, Cristiano Ronaldo started passing through one of the most turbulent periods in his career. Apart from bad performances in Manchester United, the Portuguese have been deeply involved in internal and external polemics.

The Portuguese player articulates a sense of betrayal and dissatisfaction with the club's management, particularly with his coach Erik Ten Hag. Ronaldo declared, in the exponential interview with Piers Morgan, that he had been "betrayed" by the leadership of Manchester United. For instance, Ronaldo revealed that he missed the pre-season due to health problems of his younger daughter and assured Manchester United did not accept his explanation. Ronaldo mentioned that Ten Hag does not empathize with him and does not respect him in the way he believes he should be respected. Cristiano also stated that there are numerous aspects to which the media doesn't have direct exposure and that they should seek clarification before criticizing the press.

Cristiano alleged that his seemingly terrible start to the season and the limited number of matches he has performed in are directly related to his personal issues and the death of his newborn daughter. He claimed that he was not psychologically stable at the start of the season and that his poor performance was due to the negative attitude of Manchester United's management. Indeed, this doesn't justify his irrational attitude toward exposing the English club to the rest of the world or his negative attitude toward his coach and the Manchester United club management. There were numerous occasions when the Red Devil fans were disappointed by Cristiano's behaviour, such as when Cristiano memorably acted arrogant and dissatisfied after being replaced in the match, appearing to be unsatisfied.

In conclusion, Cristiano is unquestionably an absolute legend in Man United history, winning titles such as the Champions League (2007/08), Premier League: a total of three championships (2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09). 2X English Super Cup Winner, 1X English FA CUP Winner, 3X English Champions, 1X FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP WINNER. All those trophies automatically make him part of the club's history, neglecting to mention that the Portuguese won his first Ballon D'or while playing for "The Red Devils" in 2008.

These attitudes and decisions taken by the Portuguese caused the presidency of Man United to become infuriated with him and ended up causing some fans to lose all interest in him, fueling the concept that he is an idealist and egoist person. Cristiano left his legacy on Manchester United's history, and everything he did for the club turned into absolute history. Ultimately, Ronaldo's current bad phase in United will not impact his legacy.