‘My wife wanted to kill me’ Rio Ferdinand reveals how 1am Manchester United-related call from Cristiano Ronaldo saved his life
Rio Ferdinand has revealed that his ex-TOWIE star wife “wanted to kill me” after he took a 1am Manchester United-related call from Cristiano Ronaldo.
Portuguese returned to England in 2021
Sounded out former team-mate before move
Lasted less than 18 months before release
WHAT HAPPENED?
Back in the summer of 2021, five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo found himself mulling over his options at Serie A giants Juventus. The decision was taken, after three years in Italy, to find a new challenge – with talk of a stunning return to Manchester to join Pep Guardiola and Co at City emerging.
THE GOSSIP
Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United 2022
No deal was done there, with United refusing to let their neighbours acquire an Old Trafford legend. Ronaldo rejoined the Red Devils’ ranks, but was gone less than 18 months later following a falling out with Dutch coach Erik ten Hag – with CR7 released as a free agent.
WHAT FERDINAND SAID
Former United team-mate Ferdinand has been discussing a sensational retracing of steps to English football with Ronaldo, saying on the Portuguese’s YouTube channel: “We spoke on the phone when you were going to go and sign at Man United, when you were negotiating to come back, and my wife wanted to kill me! It was 1 o’clock in the morning and you rang me: ‘Rio what’s going on, can we sort this out?’ You ended up signing for United. Initially that must have been a beautiful thing for you because I remember on the phone you sounded so happy. Then obviously it went a bit sour.”
DID YOU KNOW?
Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United
Ronaldo responded by saying: “I don’t need to prove if I’m right or wrong, it is not my issue any more. I say what I have to say. For me it is done. But to be honest, what I wish for Manchester is what I wish for me – the best, that they can make the best team they can. I love that club. I’m not that kind of guy that forgot the past.”
WHAT NEXT?
Ronaldo won three Premier League titles, the Champions League and the first of his Golden Balls during a memorable first stint with United. His reputation in the eyes of United supporters was tarnished somewhat by his acrimonious departure second time around, but he will forever be remembered as another iconic No.7 at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’.
Manchester United’s failed Cristiano Ronaldo experiment in 2021 was a crystal clear sign that the club needed to change.
When Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was fired in 2021, Manchester United hired Ralf Rangnick as interim boss, with a view to a more strategic role.
Rangnick’s demand for ‘open heart surgery’ did not go down well at the club at the time – but he was speaking the honest truth.
Later in 2022 the Glazers decided to cede power, with Ineos winning the battle and starting to rip up the existing football structure and start again.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United in action during the UEFA Europa League group E match between Manchester United and Real Sociedad at Old Tra…
Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images
Cristiano Ronaldo demanded Man Utd ambition
Cristiano Ronaldo has been presenting his views on the current state of Manchester United, taking a shot at Erik ten Hag in the process.
Ronaldo hit out at United for a perceived lack of ambition, demanding that United should always be looking to win the Premier League and Champions League.
Yet on the very same day, Manchester United’s chief executive Omar Berrada came out to express the club’s clear ambition.
Berrada released a statement amid United’s financial results, commenting: “Our clear objective is to return the club to the top of European football.”
This is exactly what Ronaldo is demanding, for United to want to reach the peak, and not settle for sub-standard targets.
You could say Berrada’s comments are just lip-service to the club’s shareholders, and that may be correct – but they are also words Manchester United fans want to hear from the ambitious new investors.
Manchester United are getting it right off the pitch
Ineos have been working apace to rip up the structure they inherited at Manchester United and bring in their own team of experts, best in the field.
Omar Berrada is one of these, the former Manchester City chief executive, while Dan Ashworth was hired from Newcastle.
Jean-Claude Blanc has a seat on the United board, bringing experience from Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.
United are also set to appoint Marc Armstrong, PSG’s chief revenue officer, adding in another high calibre expert behind the scenes.
The idea is that eventually the right support structure will translate to success on the pitch, or at least give the manager a better chance..
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