Rejected Cristiano Ronaldo for Burnley, Vincent Kompany Reflects on Gritty Battles in Man Utd-Man City Diaries

Manchester United may have Liverpool as their most unadmired foe, but the rivalry with City cannot be underestimated. From losing 6-1 in 2011 under Sir Alex Ferguson to even last year’s FA Cup final defeat, the Red Devils have bitter memories against their neighbors. However, former Manchester City captain and Burnley’s boss, Vincent Kompany expressed the pain he had to face during United’s golden era. He also reflects on United’s star team, including Cristiano Ronaldo whom he did not want to have at Burnley.

It was a time when Manchester United pulled off winning games even during the dying minutes. And with players like Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs, and Paul Scholes, the club was a nightmare to the opposition. Speaking on Rio Ferdinand’s FIVE, Kompany confessed, “When the team is like not even broken a sweat and they’re high fiving each other and it’s like last week and they’re waving the misses in the stands and you’re like no he had too much time to think about this and you’ve literally given everything you’ve had and you’ve not landed a punch.” to which Ferdinand had a sympathizing reply.

“That feeling is a terrible place to be man. You feel helpless and worthless”, Ferdinand agreeing to Kompany’s views about United’s nonchalance. Manchester United’s dominance during Sir Alex Ferguson’s time has been noteworthy. The legendary manager once said that City could never be league favorites during his lifetime. Winning 26 of the 47 games played under Sir Alex, United still dominates the H2H stats versus the treble-winners with 72 wins over 60 losses.

Moreover, Kompany emphasized the strength of Manchester United’s squad then. Playing his first derby against players like Rooney, Tevez, and Cristiano Ronaldo had the Belgian intimidated. However, Kompany took a dig at CR7 when he left the Red Devils in 2022.

Kompany hails players like Cristiano Ronaldo, who he funnily rejected years later

Deeming the vintage United team of 2008 to be powerful, Kompany told Rio Ferdinand, “The very first time I played it was Tevez, Rooney Ronaldo up front. Might as well have gone to Trafford Centre.” But things were different in 2022 when Kompany jokingly said, “We need players that can run, you know,” when asked if he’d take CR7 in Burnley, after the legend’s exit because of a spat with Erik ten Hag.

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Reports claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo could not find an appropriate club in England when he left Manchester United after his second spell. And Vincent Kompany did not hold back from taking a dig at the former rival. Overall, despite the City’s authority currently, things could turn around at any point in time like before, with the Red Devils just needing to click.

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