Sameer Khan
Former Manchester United defender says it was a ‘shame’ how club legend Cristiano Ronaldo departed
Cristiano Ronaldo started his journey to football immortality at Manchester United. He even won the first of his five Ballon d’Or s during his time with the Red Devils.
He then departed for Spain, became a legend with Real Madrid and returned to Manchester United after a brief stint with Juventus. His second time with the club was not as glorious as the first and eventually ended with Ronaldo getting his contract terminated.
Eric Bailly, who was a mainstay at Manchester United under the leadership of Jose Mourinho recently spoke about the club. While talking to The Athletic (paid subscription), the Ivorian footballer called Ronaldo’s final saga at the club a ‘shame’.
Previously, Bailly spoke about how it was a dream come true for him to play at Manchester United. He went on to explain how injuries made him feel ‘helpless’ and ‘worthless’.
Let’s have a look at what else he had to say about the club. (h\t The Athletic)
“Cristiano contributed a lot to the club and a player like Cristiano deserves to feel important. It’s a shame he left in the circumstances he did.”
It’s clear to see that Bailly was not happy about how Cristiano Ronaldo’s journey with Manchester United came to an end. But, happy endings are rarely ever found in the real world and especially the football world.
Throughout his time with the club, the Portuguese legend made 346 appearances while recording 145 goals and 64 assists (Transfermarkt). He may have been disrespectful to the club near the end but his accolades speak for themselves.
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Even at the age of 38, Ronaldo is still going strong. He ended 2023 as the football’s top scorer that year with 54 goals. A return to Manchester United might never be in the books, but fans still have hope for him to end his career at Old Trafford.
