In a candid interview, former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed that the club must “rebuild everything” in order to return to its past glories, CNN reports.
Speaking on the “Rio Ferdinand Presents” podcast, the Portuguese forward, who had two spells at United before leaving for the final time two years ago, said that the mentality of the coaches and current manager Erik ten Hag is holding back the team.
“The coaches, they say they cannot compete to win the league and the Champions League,” Ronaldo said. “If you’re a Manchester United coach, you cannot say that, that you’re not going to fight to win the league or the Champions League. You have to mentally say, listen, maybe we don’t have that potential … but we’re going to try, you have to try.”
United, who last won the Premier League in 2013 under Sir Alex Ferguson, have struggled in recent years, finishing eighth in the league last season – their worst-ever Premier League finish. However, they did secure the FA Cup in May.
Ronaldo, who scored 145 goals during his time at Old Trafford, believes the club must “rebuild from the bottom” in order to compete at the highest level once again.
“This club needs time to rebuild,” he said. “It is still one of the best clubs in the world, but they need to change. They understand that it’s the only way.”
The 39-year-old, who is now playing for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, said that the recent addition of former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy to the coaching staff will “help a lot.”
“You cannot rebuild a club without knowledge,” Ronaldo added. “Not guys who work in offices, (who say), ‘I understand a lot of football because I see football on the television every day.’ It doesn’t work like that.”
Ronaldo’s departure from United last year was acrimonious, with the player giving an explosive interview criticizing the club and saying he had no respect for Ten Hag. However, the Portuguese star insisted that he still loves United and wants to see them succeed.
“I wish that I’m wrong, but it will be difficult,” Ronaldo said, referring to United’s chances of winning major trophies this season. “But the future will be bright, but they can’t depend only on the talents, it’s more than that.”
