Would Ronaldo welcome Zidane replacing Solskjaer?

Tom Grant
  • 20 Oct 2021 11:00 BST
  • 4 min read
Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Man Utd against Newcastle
© ProShots

Cristiano Ronaldo won three of his five Champions League titles under Zinedine Zidane while the pair were at Real Madrid.

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So it's no surprise that the Portuguese superstar has a soft spot for this former coach.

Pressure is mounting on Ronaldo's current boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with his Manchester United side enduring a difficult start to the campaign.

And, as the Red Devils face Atalanta at Old Trafford in the Champions League, anything but a home victory would only increase the rising tide of discontent aimed towards Solskjaer.

United go into the match on the back of a 4-2 defeat to Leicester City at the weekend.

And, despite the array of talent at Solskjaer's disposal, it's clear the team haven't hit anywhere near top gear so far this season.

The vultures are circling and it's believed the Norwegian manager has just two games to save his job, according to reports.

Next permanent Man Utd manager odds

MANAGERODDS
Brendan Rodgers4/1
Mauricio Pochettino4/1
Antonio Conte5/1
Zinedine Zidane5/1
Julian Nagelsmann14/1

Oddschecker have Zidane at 5/1 to be the next United manager and here we take a look at what Ronaldo has said about the Frenchman in the past.

Ronaldo on Zidane after the two had parted ways

In August 2019, after Ronaldo and Zidane had left Real Madrid, Ronaldo was asked about his former manager and what his strengths as a manager were.

"The confidence that a player needs doesn't only come from himself but also from the players around him and the coach," he said.

"You need to feel like you are an important part of the group and Zidane made me feel special.

Zidane, Flick, Conte out, Mourinho in – 31 coaching changes already in Europe’s big five leagues
© ProShots

"He helped me a lot. I already had a lot of respect for him but working with him made me admire him more.

"That's because of what he's like as a person, how he talks, how he led the team and how he treated me."

Ronaldo on Zidane's good work replacing Rafa Benitez

In May 2019, Ronaldo had further praise for the job Zidane did at Real Madrid.

“Zidane can manage the squad intelligently,” he said.

“At Madrid, every player wants to play every game so, from a managerial position, it is not easy to delegate all these decisions and make the calls.

“He knows how to handle this with a lot of thought.

"And he knows how to manage the squad.”

Ronaldo on Zidane after the 2017 Champions League win

After winning his fourth Champions League medal, Ronaldo praised Zidane's team talk during the final against Juventus.

“Zidane gave us a very positive half-time team talk and told us he really believed in us.

Ronaldo on Zidane after a few months working with him

"I love his personality and the way he manages us."][]}

It wasn't long into Zidane's tenure as Real Madrid manager that it became clear the players and Ronaldo loved working with him. Ronaldo said, after a Champions League hat-trick, "I love working with Zidane

"I love his personality and the way he manages us. I'm very happy"

If the United hot seat does become available over the next few weeks, it wouldn't come as a big shock if the footballing legend Zidane rocked up at Old Trafford.

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