Cristiano Ronaldo was not short of opinions during his second stint at Manchester United. It eventually led to the Portuguese talisman leaving the club under a grey cloud.
There was incredible excitement in September 2021 when Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Manchester United.
The first season went well for Ronaldo on an individual note, while United struggled, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked before Christmas.
Ronaldo was the third top scorer in the Premier League with 18 goals, winning two Player of the Month awards and scoring two hat-tricks, which accounted for more than any other player in the top-flight.
On top of that, Ronaldo managed to score six goals in seven Champions League matches.
The 2021/22 season was disappointing for United fans, and it led to Solskjaer getting the sack in November. Ronaldo had a good relationship with the Norwegian before questioning his replacement, Ralf Rangnick, as interim manager.
United eventually hired Erik ten Hag as manager ahead of the 2022/23 season, but Ronaldo had advised the club to hire another manager.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal celebrates a goal during the
Photo by Henrique Casinhas/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Cristiano Ronaldo wanted Luis Enrique at Manchester United
Manchester United were convinced that Ten Hag was the right man for the job in 2022.
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The Dutchman was hired and brought some of his favourite players from Ajax with him, including Antony and Lisandro Martinez.
Ten Hag was sacked after two and a half years at Old Trafford. He ended United’s trophy drought by winning the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup.
Although reports at the time suggested that Cristiano Ronaldo wanted United to hire Luis Enrique, who has since become Paris Saint-Germain manager and led the French outfit to European success.
At the Club World Cup this summer, PSG have been the standout team and will face Chelsea in the final.
Enrique was the manager of Spain when Ronaldo recommended the former Barcelona coach for United, but the Red Devils opted for Ten Hag.
Ronaldo witnessed Enrique’s monumental success at Barcelona from 2014 to 2017 when the La Liga giants won the treble in his first season.
The 55-year-old has enjoyed a successful career as a coach to date. His list of honours includes two La Liga titles, two Champions Leagues, three Copa del Reys, Ligue 1 and two Coupe de France.
Moreover, Enrique’s teams play incredible football, as seen with PSG at the moment.
Enrique’s record against Man Utd
Although Enrique has been managing for over 10 years, he has yet to face United from the dugout.
Enrique made one appearance against United as a player in the Champions League, back in 1999. He scored in the 3-3 draw as David Beckham, Paul Scholes, and Ryan Giggs got on the scoresheet for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.
Games Goals Assists
1 1 0
Luis Enrique stats vs Manchester United
United went on to win the European Cup as well as the Premier League and FA Cup that season. Perhaps that is where Enrique got the inspiration to win the treble with Barcelona.