{"id":1252704,"date":"2022-11-17T14:16:29","date_gmt":"2022-11-17T14:16:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/11\/17\/i-was-close-to-joining-manchester-city\/"},"modified":"2022-11-17T14:16:29","modified_gmt":"2022-11-17T14:16:29","slug":"i-was-close-to-joining-manchester-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/11\/17\/i-was-close-to-joining-manchester-city\/","title":{"rendered":"I was close to joining Manchester City"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"Ronaldo
Ronaldo left unimpressed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Cristiano Ronaldo says he was close to joining Manchester City before following his \u201cheart\u201d by rejoining Manchester United.<\/p>\n

The Portugal forward made headlines earlier this week after telling Talk TV he felt \u201cbetrayed\u201d by the club.<\/p>\n

The first part of the full interview was released on Wednesday in which he gave more detail on his version of events at Old Trafford.<\/p>\n

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\u201cHonestly, it was close,\u201d he said of potentially joining City.<\/p>\n

Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford from Juventus in August 2021 \u2013 11 years after he left the club to join Real Madrid.<\/p>\n

At the time it was reported he was wanted by City boss Pep Guardiola and, although Ronaldo confirmed the interest, he said he decided to sign for United after speaking with his old manager Sir Alex Ferguson.<\/p>\n

The 37-year-old added: \u201cAs you know, my history in Manchester United, your heart, you\u2019re feeling the way that you did before, makes the difference. And of course, Sir Alex Ferguson.<\/p>\n

\u201cI spoke with him. He said to me, \u2018it\u2019s impossible for you to come to Manchester City\u2019. And I say \u2018OK, boss\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

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  • \u2018Young players don\u2019t care\u2019<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Ronaldo, who will miss Portugal\u2019s friendly with Nigeria on Thursday because of a stomach bug, criticised the attitude and professionalism of young footballers during the interview, accusing them of \u201cnot respecting\u201d their older and more experienced team-mates.<\/p>\n

    \u201cTheir hunger [is different],\u201d he added. \u201cI think they have things more easily, everything\u2019s easy, they don\u2019t suffer \u2013 and they don\u2019t care.<\/p>\n

    \u201cI don\u2019t mean only a few in Manchester United, but all the teams in all leagues in the world, the youngers are not the same of my generation.<\/p>\n

    \u201cBut you cannot blame them, because it\u2019s part of the life and the new generation, the new technologies that distract them.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \"Cristiano
    Diogo Dalot, right, was singled out by Cristiano Ronaldo as a player he admires<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Ronaldo singled out his United and Portugal team-mate Diogo Dalot, 23, as one of the few young players he could praise.<\/p>\n

    Ronaldo also said Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro are other players he admires at the club.<\/p>\n

    \u2018In Manchester United I can mention Dalot,\u201d he said. \u201cHe\u2019s young, but very professional but I don\u2019t doubt that he\u2019s going to have longevity in football because he\u2019s young, he\u2019s smart, intelligent and he\u2019s very professional. Probably Martinez, Casemiro is in his 30s, but I will say Dalot.\u2019<\/p>\n

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    • \u2018I\u2019d never heard of Rangnick\u2019<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Just over two months after Ronaldo returned to United, his former team-mate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked as manager and replaced by Ralf Rangnick, who was named interim coach until the end of the season.<\/p>\n

      The German had been coach of RB Leipzig, Schalke and several others clubs in his native country and credited with influencing managers like Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel with his football philosophy.<\/p>\n

      But Ronaldo said he was surprised by the appointment.<\/p>\n

      \u201cThis guy is not even a coach,\u201d he added. \u201cA big club like Manchester United bringing a sport directive surprised not only me but all the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

      Asked if he had heard of Rangnick, Ronaldo added: \u201cNo, of course not. Nobody, the people who I spoke to knew.<\/p>\n

      \u201cI respect [him], all the coaches in my career I had to call them the boss, but deep inside me I never saw him as the boss because I saw some points that I never agreed.\u201d<\/p>\n

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      • \u2018Criticism from ex-players probably jealously\u2019<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
        \"Cristiano
        Cristiano Ronaldo was team-mates with Wayne Rooney in his first spell at Manchester United<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

        Ronaldo also criticised Manchester United legends Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville after both had recently questioned his behaviour.<\/p>\n

        Rooney said last week Ronaldo risked becoming an unwanted distraction at the club following his refusal to come on as substitute in the home defeat by Tottenham last month.<\/p>\n

        And the Portuguese said of Rooney: \u201cI don\u2019t know why he criticises me so bad, I don\u2019t know if he\u2019s jealous of me.<\/p>\n

        \u201cI really don\u2019t understand people like that or if they want to be on the front cover of the news or they want a new job or whatever.<\/p>\n

        \u201cProbably [it\u2019s jealousy] because he finished his career with 30s. I\u2019m still playing a high level.\u201d<\/p>\n

        On Neville, he added: \u201cThey are not my friends, they are colleagues. We are not having dinner together for example.<\/p>\n

        \u201cBut it\u2019s part of my journey. They keep criticising me every time, so I continue my trip and I have to catch up with the people who like me.\u201d<\/p>\n

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