Manchester United is currently navigating a challenging period, despite their FA Cup victory over Manchester City. The Red Devils have struggled in the early stages of the Premier League, casting doubt on Erik Ten Hag’s future at the club. Amidst this uncertainty, a former soccer star has floated the idea of Cristiano Ronaldo as a potential future manager for the Manchester side.
In a recent interview with TVSporten, former England forward Michael Owen suggested that Ronaldo seems to have a natural inclination towards coaching, pointing to his passion for soccer.
“Just looking from the outside, it feels like he might want to be at the side of the pitch managing Portugal like he did at Euro 2016,” Owen said. “He looks like a coach, he looks like he wants to coach, so he might want to go down that route.”
Owen also speculated that Ronaldo could eventually step into the managerial roles at clubs like Manchester United or Real Madrid once he hangs up his boots. “The Portugal job, probably in the future we might have his name on it, you never know. Of course, if he does well, then great teams like Manchester United, Real Madrid would then be looking at him.”
Cristiano Ronaldo not interested in coaching
Despite Owen’s comments, Cristiano Ronaldo has stated that he has no current plans to pursue a coaching career. In an interview with NOW, Ronaldo expressed that the idea of becoming a coach hasn’t crossed his mind.
“At the moment, I’m not thinking about being a coach of the first team or any team. It doesn’t even cross my mind, I’ve never thought about it. I don’t see my future going through that. I see myself doing other things outside of football, but only God knows what the future holds,” Ronaldo said.
He also mentioned that when the time comes to retire, it will be a spontaneous yet well-considered decision, and he won’t announce it in advance. “When I leave the national team, I won’t tell anyone in advance and it will be a very spontaneous decision on my part, but also a very well thought-out one,” Ronaldo added.
Portugal’s upcoming UEFA Nations League matches
Ronaldo has confirmed his participation in Portugal’s upcoming UEFA Nations League matches. The team will kick off their journey on Thursday, September 5, against Croatia, followed by a match against Scotland on Sunday, September 10. Both games are set to be played at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon.