No one anticipated that things would pan out so unfavorably for Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United. Unlike his young days filled with glory, the second spell at his former club went pear-shaped. An alleged public fallout with Erik ten Hag was the beginning of the end of CR7’s journey at Old Trafford, forcing him to face the wrath of fans. However, a former Red Devils star has declared Ronaldo innocent, asserting the Al Nassr star ‘is a positive leader.’
Alex Telles also followed Cristiano Ronaldo’s path to Saudi and didn’t miss the opportunity to once again share a locker room with him. And who better than Telles to share the real panorama of being on the same team with the 39-year-old? In an interview with Spanish media, the left-back said, “Cristiano is a natural leader. Everyone knows his way of dealing with football, because of his professionalism, and the good thing about that is that he is a positive leader.” The praise didn’t end here, as he vocally commended CR7’s mentality, which the skipper brings to the table.
“He always pushes the team towards positivity. He is very influential in our team, and he is a source of strength for us,” added the Brazilian international. Notably, Ronaldo’s relationship with ten Hag started to sour during the pre-season after the Real Madrid icon reportedly turned up a few days late.
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Additionally, Telles was also one of the flies on the wall to witness that moment. Either way, from his point of view, Ronaldo seems to have a clean slate over the Dutch manager. Notably, this wasn’t the only backing Ronaldo received following his exit.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hailed the professional attitude of Cristiano Ronaldo
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Earlier, in an interview, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer shared his thoughts on working with Cristiano Ronaldo before the player’s discord with Erik ten Hag. The club legend said, “I love Cristiano’s professional attitude. But it didn’t work out for him.” Solskjaer acknowledged that ever since his exit, everything turned sour for Ronaldo, which made the former manager very sad.
Likewise, former United star Anderson also took a dig at his former club for failing to ‘protect‘ Cristiano Ronaldo, while highlighting the 5X Ballon d’Or winner’s recent 50-goal haul. Notably, Ronaldo only featured in 16 matches across all competitions, and he was included in the starting lineup just 10 times under ten Hag. Rest, as you know, is history.
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What are your thoughts on the Cristiano Ronaldo-Erik ten Hag drama? Let us know in the comments.
READ MORE: WATCH – Cristiano Ronaldo Throws a Fit After Al Nassr’s Defense Crumbles Against Al Fateh