Al Nassr star Cristiano Ronaldo has taken aim at some of his former managers, stating that not all had a clue about football.
The Portuguese superstar, who has played under 19 different coaches, made the remarks in a recent interview with El Chiringuito TV, saying:
“I had some really bad coaches. Some of them don’t have a f*cking clue about football at all…”
While Ronaldo did not name specific managers, his words have sparked speculation among fans.
Ronaldo claims some of his former managers don’t have a clue about football – Getty image
Over the years, he has had public disagreements with several coaches, including Erik ten Hag during his second stint at Manchester United.
UCL: Gyokeres told he was ‘barely visible’ during Sporting vs Arsenal clash Viktor Gyokeres endured a frustrating return to Lisbon as Arsenal squeezed out a 1-0 win over Sporting CP in their Champions League quarter-final first leg, with the striker coming under heavy criticism from the Portuguese media. The Swedish forward, who previously starred for Sporting, was largely ineffective throughout the encounter at the Estadio Jose Alvalade. Despite a strong reception from home supporters, his performance failed to match expectations. Local outlet A Bola summed up his performance bluntly, stating: “The striker celebrates with a mask, [but] seemed masked: he was barely visible.” Other publications echoed similar sentiments, with O Jogo noting that Sporting “stifled” their former talisman, while Público described him as “largely absent from the game.” Gyokeres, who scored 97 goals in 102 appearances during his time in Portugal, managed just 17 touches and struggled to impose himself against a defence that appeared well-drilled in neutralising his strengths. Numbers speak to a difficult outing Statistically, his performance showed lack of impact. His only notable involvement came in the build-up to a disallowed goal for Martin Zubimendi, where he was flagged offside. A late effort on goal, comfortably handled by Rui Silva, summed up an underwhelming night for the forward, who was unable to replicate his usual clinical edge that led Arsenal to invest heavily in his signing. Substitutes changed the game With Gyokeres struggling to influence play, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta turned to his bench for inspiration. The introduction of Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz proved decisive. Havertz eventually delivered the breakthrough with a stoppage-time winner, sealing a narrow advantage for the Premier League side ahead of the second leg in London.
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In 2024, Ronaldo criticized Ten Hag for his approach at Old Trafford, suggesting that the Dutchman lacked the ambition required to manage a club of United’s stature.
Speaking on Rio Ferdinand’s podcast, he said:
“As I told you, Manchester, they need to rebuild everything, in my opinion. The coach, they say they cannot compete to win the League and Champions League… As Manchester United coach, you cannot say that.”
Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner and one of football’s all-time greats, has played in Portugal, England, Spain, Italy, and Saudi Arabia, winning major titles at every stop.
However, his latest comments suggest that not every managerial experience along the way met his expectations.