Saturday: Watch Ronaldo’s re-debut against Newcastle
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Twelve years after leaving the club as the world’s most expensive footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo returns to Manchester United. He will probably re-debut for the Red Devils when Newcastle visit Old Trafford on Saturday 11 September.
– It is big, especially considering that he almost went to Manchester City, it would be brutal for the Manchester United supporters. They have been desperate to get him back to Old Trafford and this is a fantastic signing for the club.
ESPN senior writer Mark Ogden told TV 2. Ogden, who follows Manchester United more closely than most, believes the Ronaldo signing has already raised expectations in the red section of Manchester.
– HAPPENS RONALDO SIGNATURE: ESPN senior writer Mark Ogden believes signing Cristiano Ronaldo will lift Manchester United both on and off the pitch. Photo: Olof Andersson
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– He is still a very good player on the field, and off the field he will make sure that the interest in the club is greater. I was in Wolverhampton on Sunday and the fans are so happy that he is coming back. It has lifted morale and enthusiasm already, Ogden explains.
VAR room 2: Ronaldo’s homecoming, dancing joy and the letter Ø
The land in Manchester on Thursday
The Portuguese completed the medical test in Lisbon on Monday. On Wednesday, he became the all-time highest scoring national team player when he decided the match against Ireland five minutes into overtime.
In the same match, he picked up a yellow card and a suspension for the match against Azerbaijan. This is good news for Ole Gunnar Solskjær.
Ronaldo has in fact been allowed to return home from the national team gathering, and already Thursday night landed the former Real Madrid and Juventus player in Manchester.
There he was met by former teammate Darren Fletcher, and although he according to Manchester Evening News must be quarantined for five days, he is thus highly relevant to start Saturday’s match against Newcastle.
Solskjær: – It was not easy
But it was not always a given that the terminus would be in the red part of the city.
– Manchester City now say that they did not really try to sign Ronaldo, but the truth is that they had come a long way in the process. Pep Guardiola spoke to Ronaldo about a transfer and the talks had come a long way. The only thing it was really about was how much Manchester City was willing to pay Juventus, Ogden explains.
For City and Etihad it seemed for a long time to be the Portuguese’s next stop, but towards the end of last week United came on the field and from there it went quickly. Solskjær admits to TV 2 that it was difficult to keep the mask on at the press conference last Friday.
– It was not easy to sit there and answer questions about whether he was going to the other side of town when I knew what he wanted, Solskjær says with a sly smile on his face. Now the Manchester United boss is looking forward to working with the man again, who is regarded by many as the world’s best football player.
Ronaldo praised Solskjær in a TV 2 interview: – We have a very good relationship
– It will be exciting for both the players and the club, and it will certainly be for him as well. It is never easy to return to a club, but if I know him right, he is so determined that he will make this a success. We are sure that when we get everything written and signed, we will get a top professional player and a winner who does not come here to make money, because he has done it elsewhere. In any case, he does not come for the weather, the Christian wonder chuckles.
– Ole is under pressure
The signing of Ronaldo joins the ranks of major United signings this summer. The club has previously signed both Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund and Raphaël Varane from Real Madrid.
However, Ogden does not believe that the signing of the Portuguese superstar will change Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s expectations.
Boasts uninhibited of own SoMe profile
– I think Ole is under pressure anyway. Even if Ronaldo had not arrived, there is a demand for trophies this season. He has to win something, and it does not change that Ronaldo comes. However, it may be easier for Ole to win something with him on the team, because he is one of the world’s best players and goal scorers, says Ogden and adds:
– At the end of the season, if Ole’s team has not won anything or been in the match for the Premier League or Champions League, then it is bad news for him.
Solskjær’s team finished last season in 2nd place in the Premier League, twelve points behind city rival City. With this summer’s signings in mind, Ogden believes that the lead has become smaller.
– With the grants they have received this summer, they have to fight for the title. Especially considering that Manchester City have not signed a striker. The lead is smaller and I think it will be much smoother between United, City, Chelsea and Liverpool this season. The team that manages to be stable wins the league, and United is one of the teams that can manage it, the ESPN journalist concludes.
Special: Cristiano Ronaldo
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