Euro 2024: Cristiano Ronaldo’s 'Wrong' Comments About Ralf Rangnick Amid Austria’s Masterclass

• Cristiano Ronaldo made scathing comments about Manchester United before controversially leaving the club back in 2022
• The Portugal star took aim at Ralf Rangnick in an interview with Piers Morgan, questioning if the German was a coach
• Years later, Rangnick is proving CR7 wrong after masterminding Austria’s escape from one of the toughest Euro groups

Cristiano Ronaldo’s past comments about Ralf Rangnick have not aged well after Austria finished as group winners at the 2024 European Championship.

Manchester United appointed Rangnick as their caretaker boss to steady the ship towards the end of the 2021/2022 season after parting ways with the club’s former striker, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

With limited time at Old Trafford, the German tactician struggled to apply his infamous Gegenpress philosophy to the Manchester United players. Ronaldo, in particular, appeared reluctant to press opposition from the front as Rangnick would have wanted.

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What ensued was a dismal end to the Red Devils’ campaign, with Rangnick recording the worst stats of any Man United manager in history. According to Manchester Evening News, several of the club’s senior players lost faith in the interim boss towards the end of the season.

Ronaldo’s comments on Rangnick

United appointed Erik ten Hag in the summer of 2022, and the Dutchman also fell out with Ronaldo, who decided to openly express his frustrations at the club as a parting shot before leaving.

In an interview with his long-time fan, Piers Morgan, CR7 claimed United’s problems started when Sir Alex Ferguson left in 2013. He further questioned why the club appointed a Sporting Director in Rangnick to take up a coaching role with the first team.

He said, "I don't know what's going on, but since Sir Alex Ferguson left, I saw no evolution in the club, the progress was zero.

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"For example, we have an interesting point that, how the club as Manchester United after they sack Ole, they bring in sports director Rangnick, which is something that nobody understands."

Ralf Rangnick’s Austria at Euro 2024

Rangnick was appointed Austria's boss in May 2022, and despite the nation missing out on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, they are showing their credentials at the Euros.

Touted as the underdogs in a group comprising France, the Netherlands, and Poland, Austria have defied the odds to top their group with six points from three games.

Tom Middler, host of an Austrian football podcast, observed that the 65-year-old was highly respected by his players, who trust his methods and are willing to adopt the forward press style of play.

"The players certainly seem to respect [Rangnick] and they appear to be very happy with him in charge as his football is much closer to what most players know from their clubs," he told the BBC.

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Will Cristiano Ronaldo start against Georgia?

Sports Brief also previously discussed whether Cristiano Ronaldo will feature in Portugal’s game against Georgia on June 26.

With two wins from their opening two games, the Selecao are guaranteed top spot in Group F and the game is a dead rubber.

The game against Georgia is more of a formality than anything else, with Roberto Martinez expected to rest some key players.