Cristiano Ronaldo is a bonafide Manchester United legend. However, the Premier League’s last-ever Ballon d’Or winner did not have a fruitful second stint at Old Trafford. Issues with manager Erik ten Hag meant Ronaldo terminated his contract prematurely. While Ronaldo’s exit seemed to have burnt some bridges, his bond with ‘father-figure’ Alex Ferguson is still going strong. At least as per Ferguson’s words.
The legendary manager was in Saudi Arabia to lift another trophy. And in the post-event interview, Ferguson was asked whether “Cristiano [Ronaldo] would be happy for you.” Ferguson replied, “Of course he will yeah.” Moreover, he also thanked the Saudi Arabia fans as well as the Manchester United fans for their support.
Journalist to Sir Alex Ferguson after his horse won the NEOM Cup in Saudi…
Cristiano would be happy for you?
Sir Alex Ferguson:
“Of course he will yeah” 🥹
— Al Nassr Zone (@TheNassrZone) February 26, 2024
The context behind Ferguson’s visit to the Middle East was his horse winning the Howden Neom Turf Cup. Named as the ‘Spirit Dancer’, the horse co-owned by Ferguson, Ged Mason and Fred Done, bagged a prize of $1 million at the King Abdulaziz stadium. Interestingly, at the same, Manchester United were losing to Fulham but Spirit Dancer brought some much-needed joy to the 82-year-old by fending off competition from the likes of Killer Ability and Calif.
Alex Ferguson was a key reason behind securing the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2003. In fact, Ferguson even turned up in 2022, to celebrate CR7’s 700 career goal. The respect and admiration between the two is mutual as Ronaldo once said, “For me, Sir Alex Ferguson is like a father in football for me.” And recently, David Beckham revealed some insights into the special relationship between the duo.
Alex Ferguson ‘softened’ up following Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival
This is the opinion of Inter Miami boss and Manchester United icon David Beckham. In a recent interview, the Englishman said, “And then, you know, obviously, Cristiano came to the club, was doing what he was doing, you know, on the pitch and off the pitch. And the gaffer had kind of softened at that point to a certain, you know, to a certain level.” As per Beckham, this was not how Ferguson was previously.
In fact, David Beckham’s cool hairstyles and fashion statements often were not appreciated by the former United Boss. Ferguson believed that this would impact Beckham’s commitment to soccer. The relationship between the duo deteriorated which even resulted in Beckham leaving the club. The man who took up Beckham’s #7 was Cristiano Ronaldo and there was no looking back for the Portuguese attacker ever since.
