CELEBRITY
Ex- United boss, Ferguson slams Solskjaer for Ronaldo’s bench role against Everton
Match of the Day pundits said they were “very surprised” by Cristiano Ronaldo’s omission from Manchester United’s starting line-up at the weekend – and it appears his former boss Sir Alex Ferguson was too.
In a conversation with former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at Old Trafford, the legendary ex-United manager was filmed saying “you should always start with your best players”.
It came after Ronaldo was kept on the bench until the 57th minute of United’s 1-1 draw with Everton on Saturday.
The video, posted on Nurmagomedov’s Instagram, sees Ferguson suggest the Toffees were given a boost “when they saw Ronaldo wasn’t playing…”
Nurmagomedov then reminded Ferguson that Ronaldo came on in the second half, before the Scot said players of his calibre should start.
Ronaldo appeared to storm off the pitch at full-time, looking frustrated and muttering to himself.
“When you’ve got Cristiano Ronaldo, you have to build a team and structure around him, so it can work for him,” former England and Arsenal striker Ian Wright said on Match of the Day.
“If you’ve got him in your team, a match winner, and you can’t set it up for him to be playing in there, to do what he does, he’s going to walk off the pitch like that.”
But United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer defended his decision to rest the 36-year-old Portugal captain.
“Me and him we understand more than the experts,” said Solskjaer.
“It’s about picking the right moments to play him, to not play him. He’s not a young puppy anymore but he’s as professional as ever and ready to come on and he came on today with energy and attitude.”
Meanwhile, United assistant manager Mike Phelan has agreed a new deal with the club until 2024.
Phelan was a member of Ferguson’s coaching team before returning to Old Trafford when Solskjaer was initially appointed caretaker manager in December 2018.
United are also working to secure first-team coaches Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna on extended contracts.
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo crossed one billion followers across his social media accounts, aided by his newly-launched YouTube channel that has attracted more than 60 million subscribers in just over three weeks.
Ronaldo, who scored his 900th career goal last week to help Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in the Nations League, is the first human being to reach a billion followers on social media, global media reports said.
“We’ve made history, one billion followers! This is more than just a number, it’s a testament to our shared passion, drive, and love for the game and beyond,” Ronaldo posted on X.
“You’ve been with me every step of the way, through all the highs and the lows. This journey is our journey… thank you for believing in me, for your support, and for being part of my life.”
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid player reached the milestone with over 639 million followers on Instagram, 170 million on Facebook and 113 million on X.
The 39-year-old topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes this year, with off-field earnings of $60 million, boosted by his large social media following.
Ronaldo’s club Al-Nassr will host Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
-Reuters
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo launched his YouTube channel on Wednesday and hundreds of thousands of subscribers signed up within a couple of hours.
The 39-year-old five-times Ballon D’Or winner plays for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.
“The wait is over. My @YouTube channel is finally here! SIUUUbscribe and join me on this new journey,” Ronaldo posted on his social media accounts.
A couple of hours after posting his first video, 1.69M subscribers had joined he channel.
Ronaldo has 112.5 million followers on the X platform, 170 million on Facebook and 636 million on Instagram.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United player is preparing for his team’s Saudi Pro League opener against Al-Raed on Thursday.
-Reuters
Inter Miami will be the last club Argentina captain Lionel Messi plays for, the 36-year-old forward said on Wednesday, adding he feels “a little bit scared” at the thought of the day he decides to retire.
Messi, a World Cup winner with Argentina in 2022, has a contract with the Major League Soccer side until 2025 following his arrival last summer after a spell with French champions Paris St Germain.
“Inter Miami will be my last club. I love playing football. I enjoy everything even more because I am aware that there is less and less left,” Messi told ESPN.
“I’m not ready to leave football. I’ve done this all my life, I love playing football, I enjoy training, the day-to-day, the matches… And yes, there’s always a little bit of fear that it’s all over.”
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi is preparing with his national team to defend their Copa America title, with the tournament kicking off on June 20 in the United States.
Argentina will take on Canada in the opening match before facing Group A rivals Chile on June 25 and Peru four days later.
-Reuters
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