CELEBRITY
Manchester United set to offload Ronaldo
A Pharaoh who does not know Joseph is about to reign at Old Trafford as in-coming coach, Erik ten Hag has revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo will not be part of his plans when he takes over Manchester United in about two months from now.
The Dutchman, Ten Hag is set to take charge of Manchester United in June once he finishes the current season with Ajax Amsterdam having agreeing a deal in principle with the fallen giants.
And the Dutchman has given the green light for Ronaldo to leave Old Trafford after making it clear the United legend will not figure in his long-term plans at Old Trafford.
The news will upset United supporters, who still regard Ronaldo as an iconic figure at the club despite his ongoing difficulties this season. Fans went into meltdown last summer when Ronaldo, 37, snubbed neighbours Manchester City to make a shock return to United from Juventus in a £12million transfer.
Ronaldo was expected to help United challenge for trophies again, but his Old Trafford comeback has become a nightmare.
The Red Devils have never been in the title race, and will finish the season without a trophy for the fifth consecutive campaign.
Ronaldo does have the option to extend his contract by a further 12 months, but the forward has been considering his future since the turn of the year after becoming disillusioned with the reality of life at United.
Ronaldo is United’s top scorer this season with 18 goals, but he has only netted four times in his last 13 games and has struggled at times to make Ralf Rangnick’s starting XI despite his reputation.
It is understood Ronaldo met his agent, Jorge Mendes, in Portugal at the end of March to assess his options ahead of next season, and multiple offers are expected.
While Ronaldo will not be short of suitor, it appears his fate at United has now been decided for him, with Ten Hag telling United chiefs that the veteran’s age and luxury status mean he is not suited to the style of play and approach he will look to implement moving forward, once he takes charge in June
Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first footballer to reach billionaire status, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which has valued the Portugal great’s net worth at an estimated $1.4 billion.
The 40-year-old striker’s financial ascent comes after he signed a new contract with Saudi side Al-Nassr in June reportedly worth more than $400 million.
Bloomberg said that Ronaldo earned more than $550 million in salary between 2002 and 2023, supplemented by a decade-long Nike deal worth nearly $18 million annually, and lucrative endorsements with Armani, Castrol and others that added more than $175 million to his fortune.
Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr from Manchester United in 2023 had already made him the highest-paid player in football history, with an annual salary of 177 million pounds ($237.52 million), plus bonuses and a reported 15% share in his Saudi Arabia club.
Argentina and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has earned more than $600 million in pre-tax salary during his career.
Ronaldo’s billionaire status places him among a rare group of athletes that includes basketball greats Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and LeBron James, golfer Tiger Woods and tennis player Roger Federer.
Ronaldo suggested he is not considering retirement any time soon.
“I still have a passion for this,” he said at the Portugal Football Globes gala on Tuesday. “My family says it’s time to quit and they ask me why I want to score 1000 goals if I’ve already scored 900-something. But I don’t think that way inside.
“I’m still producing good things, I’m helping my club and the national team. Why not continue? I am sure that when I finish I will leave full because I gave everything of myself. I know I don’t have many years left to play, but the few I have left, I have to enjoy them to the fullest.”
-Reuters
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Former England soccer captain David Beckham and actor Gary Oldman were knighted in King Charles’ annual birthday honours list on Saturday, while sculptor Antony Gormley was made a Companion of Honour.
Beckham, 50, joined Manchester United as a trainee in 1993, going on to make almost 400 appearances for the club where he won a string of titles and cups.
He subsequently played for Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, and Inter Milan, as well as captaining his country 58 times and making 115 appearances.
His marriage to fashion designer and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham in 1999 cemented a celebrity status which went far beyond his sporting exploits.
Oldman, 67, started his career on the stage, where he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, before rising to prominence in film. He won the best actor Oscar for playing Winston Churchill in the 2017 drama “Darkest Hour”.
He also had roles in the “Dark Knight Trilogy” and the “Harry Potter” movie series and more recently starred in the TV spy drama “Slow Horses”.
Other famous names receiving honours included damehoods for musical theatre star Elaine Paige, novelist Pat Barker and ceramics maker Emma Bridgewater.
Roger Daltrey, lead singer of rock band the Who and a patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust, received a knighthood for services to charity.
More than 1,200 people received honours for their achievements, with a particular focus on those who had given their time to public service, the government said.
King Charles’ official birthday will be celebrated with the annual “Trooping the Colour” military parade in London on Saturday. His actual birthday is on November 14
-Reuters
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One of three judges in Diego Maradona’s closely scrutinized homicide trial in Argentina resigned on Tuesday amid a scandal triggered by the alleged filming of an unauthorised documentary, bringing uncertainty to the future of legal proceedings.
The high-profile trial over the death of soccer star Maradona began on March 11 in the South American country where the World Cup winner is still revered.
-Reuters
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