Cristiano Ronaldo had the pleasure of being coached by three of the best managers in world football. How do they compare? Ronaldo’s words paint the picture.
Alex Ferguson – The father figure
Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at Manchester United as a raw talent. A good sculptor was needed to harness it and shape it into a football player. Sir Alex Ferguson was the one who took Cristiano Ronaldo under his wing and taught Ronaldo everything he knew.
“… he taught me everything and he was like a father for me in football because he helped me a lot at Manchester United.”
“… when I arrived at Real Madrid I was a man, when I arrived at Manchester United I was a boy.
“All of a sudden you are at one of the biggest clubs in the world, and at that time I needed somebody like Sir Alex.”
Jose Mourinho – The analyst
Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola come from the same school of thought named Barcelona. Even though they see and approach the game in a completely different manner, there is no doubt they share an important common trait as well. Ronaldo confirmed it by saying:
“… Jose Mourinho was a big thinker analytically, he went into everything in great detail.”
In comparison, though, Ronaldo’s responses to questions about Mourinho are much colder than the heart-warming answers he gives when asked about Alex Ferguson.
Ronaldo on whether he thought he’d have to change the way he plays under Mourinho:
“No, I don’t but I have to adapt to what is asked of me. This is the way it is. We have a strategy.”
Ronaldo on Mourinho’s future at Real Madrid:
“It doesn’t matter to me. What matters to me is my future and the club.”
Zinedine Zidane – The winner
As for Zidane, you could say their relationship was most of all one of mutual respect. Real Madrid wasn’t doing well when the Frenchman took over in January 2016. He brought his extensive football knowledge, made a few changes and everything suddenly clicked. Los Blancos became unbeatable.
“… Zidane arrived and was the catalyst for one of my best-ever seasons.”
Real Madrid stopped Barcelona’s 39-game unbeaten run, nearly caught their rival in the league (finished just a point behind) and won the Champions League. Ronaldo also went on to win the European Championship with Portugal, something he gave credit to Zizou as well.
“It was a great season for me and Real Madrid, and the right coach can be that inspiration.”
When Zidane stepped down as Real Madrid boss this summer, Ronaldo had nothing but gratitude.
“I’m just proud of being your player. Mister, thanks for so much.”
Some even believe Zidane was the reason why Ronaldo left Real Madrid. Conspiracy theory? We’ll probably never find out.
