CELEBRITY
Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes lead dressing room revolt against Solskjaer
Pressure is mounting on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as reports emerge that a number of Manchester United stars are unhappy with the Norwegian following the 2-0 loss to Manchester City
He is reportedly on the verge of a ‘dressing room revolt’ with key stars Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo unhappy following recent results.
The Norwegian is on thin ice after overseeing a dreadful run of form. Saturday’s sobering 2-0 defeat against Manchester City condemned United to their sixth defeat in 12 games.
Those results mean United are already nine points behind leaders Chelsea – despite expectations that a serious title challenge would be launched this year.
Following the devastating 5-0 defeat to Liverpool this month, it was reported that Solskjaer had three games to save his job. And although his future remains unclear after mixed results over that short period, dressing room unrest could prove terminal for Solskjaer, who seems to be lurching from one disaster to another.
The Daily Mail reports that various stars in the United squad are unhappy with Solskjaer, with Fernandes and Ronaldo, two of United’s most influential players, leading the ‘revolt’ – with the club now said to be seriously considering axing Solskjaer.
Fernandes is said to be one of several United players who believe that Solskjaer hasn’t given the squad a clear plan.
Solskjaer has chopped and changed his system in the aftermath of that Liverpool mauling, with United deploying a back five in the 3-0 win against Tottenham. But the system has failed to work well against Atalanta and Manchester City.
There are growing concerns at Old Trafford that Solskjaer lacks the tactical nous to tussle with bosses such as Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp.
The report goes on to state that Ronaldo is also far from happy inside the United dressing.
Although the Portuguese star was aware that United are no longer the force now than they were over a decade ago before his departure, but he has apparently been left shocked at just how far standards have slipped.
Ronaldo’s frustration has been evident in recent games with a wild swipe at Curtis Jones before lunging in late on Kevin De Bruyne at the weekend, with United’s No.7 fortunate to avoid seeing red on both occasions.
To make matters worse, some players are said to feel that the United chief shows favouritism to members of the squad, and there is believed to be a growing frustration around how certain players are viewed by Solskjaer.
Donny van de Beek has continued to be ignored since arriving, while Jesse Lingard has also been shunned this term despite the attacker’s impressive return to form at West Ham last season.
United’s squad are apparently baffled as to why Van de Beek in particular hasn’t been given a chance in the first team.
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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