Soccer World Cup in Qatar
Clubless Ronaldo wants to play on the World Cup stage
Cristiano Ronaldo no longer plays for Manchester United. The club separated from him. photo
© Jon Super/AP/dpa
Manchester United and Cristiano Ronaldo split is a relief for both sides. The World Cup is about a lot for the superstar: He has to prove that he is still playing at the top level.
The spectacular end of the relationship between Cristiano Ronaldo and his old love Manchester United was still fresh when Portugal’s superstar presented himself to his fans again.
Top fit on the training ground and fully focused on the World Cup opener against Ghana on Thursday (5:00 p.m. CET/ZDF and MagentaTV): The 37-year-old sent this picture of himself to his 500 million followers on Instagram – and also to potential new employers. Because after the weeks of back and forth about his noisy farewell, one thing is of particular interest: What’s next for Ronaldo?
Clubless Ronaldo wants to shine at the World Cup
“He’s free! Excellent news for CR7,” wrote the Portuguese newspaper “A Bola”. The superstar wanted to leave United last summer. With his controversial interview, in which he accused the club manager and coach Erik ten Hag of “treason”, he accelerated the inevitable separation. In the first game of his fifth World Cup, Ronaldo is now without a club. After Lionel Messi’s botched World Cup opener, injured Karim Benzema’s tournament failure and Robert Lewandowski’s penalty miss, Ronaldo could become the next representative of the aging generation of stars unable to shine on the big football stage.
His firm plan is to prove once again in Qatar that he can still play at world-class level at the age of 37. Because his new club should also be at this level – and have sufficient financial resources to pay the Portuguese. The top French club Paris Saint-Germain could complete its squad of superstars from Messi to Kylian Mbappé to Neymar with Ronaldo. Chelsea or Newcastle United could at least afford Ronaldo. “Ronaldo is now on the market,” wrote the newspaper “Record”.
In any case, a quick decision about Ronaldo’s future is not to be expected. Only long after the World Cup in January could there be clarity as to how and where CR7 will continue. Portuguese experts are speculating about a possible engagement outside of Europe – Saudi Arabia or the USA are considered possible targets. “The next chapter for Cristiano? That depends on what his motivation is. Playing in the Champions League? Money? Playing somewhere else where there’s a good climate?” said ex-United professional Rio Ferdinand.
Relationship between club and star player shattered
Not only for Ronaldo, but also for United, the separation from the former fan favorite should be a relief. “The situation with Ronaldo was like a ticking time bomb,” said Ferdinand. “It was an awkward situation for the club.” The Guardian commented: “The striker is right when he accuses Manchester United of making mistakes. But the club’s biggest mistake was bringing him back to United.” Twelve years after his first time at Old Trafford, Ronaldo returned in August last year. “I love Manchester United and I love the fans, that will never change,” he wrote in farewell.
But the relationship had cooled more and more and finally completely shattered. Under ten Hag, Ronaldo was no longer a regular player anyway, and the fans’ affection also waned. But even without Ronaldo, there is rumbling within the club. The share price jumped right after Ronaldo left. And the American owners announced just a few hours later that they were considering selling the club. According to The Telegraph, United are cutting their payroll costs by more than 10 per cent, potentially freeing up money for the club to spend in the January transfer window.