Cristiano Ronaldo has passionately defended Ruben Amorim, once again claiming Manchester United’s problems lie with the club’s owners.
And the football legend even went so far as to suggest what he would do to help United if he were owner, shortly after revealing he intended to buy a ‘big club’ upon retirement.
Ronaldo is one of United’s greatest ever players, scoring 145 goals and winning nine pieces of silverware, even though his second spell at Old Trafford ended in acrimonious circumstances.
In an explosive interview with Piers Morgan, the 39-year-old heavily criticised the club’s owners the Glazers, then manager Erik ten Hag and his teammates, leading to him been released in November 2022.
Much of what Ronaldo had to say remains relevant to this day, with the Red Devils enduring one of their worst seasons in history, with the side currently 14th in the Premier League.
Amorim, a former international teammate of Ronaldo’s, was hired in November to replace the sacked Ten Hag but results have not improved, with Boxing Day’s 2-0 loss at relegation threatened Wolves the latest terrible blow.
It is acknowledged that it will take time for Amorim to make his mark in Manchester and Ronaldo believes his fellow Portuguese can come good, saying at the Globe Soccer Awards: ‘He did a fantastic job in Portugal with my Sporting.
‘Premier League is a different beast, it’s a different league, it’s the most competitive league in the world, I knew it would be tough and they will continue the storm but the storm will finish and the sun will raise.
‘Fingers crossed things will be good with him and I hope the best for Manchester United because it’s a club I still love.’
In the 2022 interview, Ronaldo was especially scathing of the Glazers, slating them for their lack of investment in the club and noting how the training facilities had not been updated since he was last there in 2009.
Since his second departure, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS have become minority owners and taken charge of United’s football operations, though their first year in charge has been fraught with issues.
Ronaldo has doubled down on his comments and insists United will not get back to their best until the ownership makes wholesale changes behind the scenes.
‘I said this a year and a half ago, and I will continue to say, the problem is not the coaches,’ the Al-Nassr star said.
‘I always give this example, it’s like an aquarium, if you have a fish inside and it’s sick and you take it out, and you fix the problem and you put him back in the aquarium they will be sick again and this is the problem.
‘Manchester United is the same, the problem is not only the coach, it’s much more than that.
‘If I will be the owner of the club, I will make the things clear and adjust what I think is bad there.’
And the idea of Ronaldo actually becoming United owner is not as far-fetched as one may think, as the football legend has revealed that that is the area of the game he intends to go into once he hangs up his boots.
‘I’m not a coach. I’m never going to be a coach. President of the club? No. Maybe owner of the club,’ he added.
‘I am still very young, I have so many plans and dreams ahead. Mark my words, I will be an owner of a big club. For sure.’
Pressed if he had an idea of what club he wanted to buy, Ronaldo cryptically responded: ‘Not yet, a few maybe.’
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