Saha: 'Ronaldo still wants to play for Man Utd more than Al Nassr'

Cristiano Ronaldo may have regretted publicly criticising Man Utd and joining Al Nassr, according to former teammate Louis Saha.

"If Ronaldo understood the demands on him and the team and compromised in some way, he could have stayed at Man Utd," Saha told Compare on June 1. "He's a great player. I still feel disappointed because Ronaldo could have scored at least 10-15 goals this season easily and put Man Utd in a better position."

Saha also believes that Ronaldo has great pride. Therefore, CR7 will never publicly express regret about the past. "But deep down, he would rather score goals and win trophies with Man Utd," Saha added. "That would be a better story for him and better for his legacy, even if he doesn't admit it."

Ronaldo (yellow shirt) played in the match Al Nassr won 3-2 against Al Shabab on May 23. Photo: Reuters — Ronaldo (yellow shirt) played in the match Al Nassr won 3-2 against Al Shabab on May 23. Photo: *Reuters*

In November 2022, Ronaldo terminated his contract with Man Utd seven months early. Before that, the player criticized the club and coach Erik Ten Hag. He accused the club of disrespect when he asked to stay in Portugal for a month because his child was sick. He was also disappointed that Ten Hag put him on the bench.

In January 2023, Ronaldo signed a two-year contract with Al Nassr. He scored 14 goals in 19 appearances for the Saudi Arabian club in the 2022-2023 season, but did not win any titles. Al Nassr finished second in the Saudi Pro League, stopped in the semi-finals of the Saudi Arabian Super Cup and the semi-finals of the King's Cup. Ronaldo went trophyless for the second consecutive season.

Meanwhile, Ten Hag insists that Man Utd have changed their mentality since Ronaldo left. His team finished third in the 2022-2023 Premier League, won the English League Cup and are preparing to play in the FA Cup final. This result is much better than the sixth place finish in the Premier League last season, when Ronaldo was still around.

Saha (left) and Ronaldo when they were teammates at Man Utd from 2004-2008. Photo: AFP — Saha (left) and Ronaldo when they were teammates at Man Utd from 2004-2008. Photo: *AFP*

Ronaldo scored 145 goals for Man Utd, 450 for Real Madrid, 101 for Juventus and 122 for Portugal. His collection includes 32 collective titles, including one Euro, five Champions Leagues, three Premier Leagues, two La Ligas and two Serie A. But since 2021, the 38-year-old striker no longer has the feeling of winning. His most recent title was the 2020-2021 Italian Cup with Juventus.

Thanh Quy (according to Compare )

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