Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Hints Signing Cristiano Ronaldo in 2021 Was a Mistake in Honest Interview

• Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked three months after signing Cristiano Ronaldo
• The former Manchester United boss admitted Ronaldo’s signing was a 'mistake'
• Ronaldo acrimoniously left Old Trafford in November 2022 for the Saudi league

Former Manchester United boss, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, has sensationally claimed re-signing Cristiano Ronaldo was a 'mistake from all parties'.

The Portuguese star made a famous return to Man United in 2021 from Juventus when his Norwegian ex-teammate was in charge of the club.

Having just come from a second-place league finish in the previous season, Solskjaer endured a nightmare start to his 2021/22 campaign, and lost his job three months after Ronaldo, then 37 years old, joined the club.

Ronaldo ‘complicated’ things at Man United

Any team would be lucky to have Ronaldo in its squad, and with Manchester United, it was no different back in 2021.

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The problem, however, was that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner joined the Red Devils at a time when the club had an influx of attacking players including Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Mason Greenwood, and Edinson Cavani.

While speaking on the Stick to Football Podcast, Solskjaer admitted that Ronaldo’s return to the club complicated matters not only for him but for the players as well.

"It was a very quick decision [to sign Ronaldo]," Solskjaer admitted, per The Independent.

"We didn’t think Cristiano was available and that he was going to move. When it became apparent that he was leaving Juventus, obviously there were other clubs that wanted him - but I was excited."

Solskjaer went on to explain how Ronaldo affected United’s pressing game, as the veteran was not a big fan of running around on the pitch.

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"Cristiano is different to Antony Martial who was up front, or whether we would play Mason [Greenwood] or Marcus [Rashford] up front. Edinson Cavani was the one that suffered the most when Cristiano came in - we’d played and got Edinson into a certain way of understanding the way we played."

The Norwegian found it difficult to drop Ronaldo from his squad, however, and this negatively affected the team’s results.

The Portuguese star was eventually dropped for the first time by Solskjaer during a home game against Everton. He eventually came on as a substitute as the two sides played out to a 1-1 draw.

What happened after Solskjaer’s departure?

After Solskjaer’s sacking, Ralf Rangnick was tasked with steadying the ship but failed to do so as the Red Devils ended the season in sixth place.

That same season, the new manager famously said the club 'needed open heart surgery', per The Guardian.

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Then, after Erik ten Hag took charge, Ronaldo decided to burn bridges with United after falling out with the new manager.

He went on a sensational rant about the club in an interview with Piers Morgan that aired in November 2022, which led to United terminating his contract.

Cristiano Ronaldo taunted by Messi chants

Since his move to Saudi Arabia, Cristiano Ronaldo has continued to thrive in the twilight years of his career.

One thing that cannot escape him, however, is the consistent comparisons to his eternal rival, Lionel Messi.

As Sports Brief reported, Ronaldo was taunted with ‘Messi’ chants during an AFC Champions League game.