'No Time For Regrets...': Cristiano Ronaldo Opens Up On Controversial Manchester United Exit

In an interview ahead of Portugal's match against Liechtenstein, Ronaldo talked about his second stint with Premier League giants Manchester United and his controversial exit.

Portugal’s forward Cristiano Ronaldo attends a training session at Cidade do Futebol training camp in Oeiras, outskirts of Lisbon, on March 20, 2023, ahead of their UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier football match against Liechtenstein and Luxembourg.

Source : AFP

Cristiano Ronaldo, the iconic football star, will be on international duty as he joins the Portugal squad ahead of their forthcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers. While he was benched during Portugal's last few matches in their FIFA World Cup 2022 campaign in Qatar, it would be interesting to see the role he plays under new manager Roberto Martinez after Fernando Santos decided to step down post the marquee event.

In an interview ahead of Portugal's match against Liechtenstein, Ronaldo talked about his second stint with Premier League giants Manchester United and his controversial exit before his blockbuster signing with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr. The 38-year-old described his decision to return to Old Trafford as a bad decision.

“Sometimes, you have to go through some things to see who is on my side. I have no problem saying, I had a bad career run, but there’s no time for regrets,"  Ronaldo said at a presser ahead of the qualifier game.

"Life goes on and, doing well or not, it was part of my growth," he added.

After his first stint with United where he rose to fame, Ronaldo spent over a decade away from the Premier League, enjoying successful stints with La Liga club Real Madrid and Serie A side Juventus. When he returned to United, he had a great comeback game scoring a brace at the Theatre of Dreams and a good season personally, finishing as the club's top goal scorer. 

However, his form dipped in the 2022-23 season plus he wasn't getting as many minutes on the pitch as he would have liked under the new boss Erik ten Hag. In a controversial interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo openly said that he does not have any respect for Hag as he does not him respect him back.

He also made several allegations against the club, saying how the club's training facilities had stagnated ever since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club. Post his claims, United terminated his contract and after several reports linking him to various clubs, he agreed to sign a lucrative deal with Al-Nassr FC.