Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admits signing Cristiano Ronaldo for Man Utd was WRONG but says it was ‘difficult to turn down’
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER has admitted re-signing Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United was a big error.
And the former boss blames egos in the dressing room for his sacking in November 2021.
Red Devils legend Ronaldo was available that summer, with rivals Manchester City ready to pounce.
Sir Alex Ferguson persuaded the Portuguese star to return to Old Trafford — where he scored twice on his second debut in the 4-1 win over Newcastle.
Solskjaer, 50, said: “It was a decision that was very difficult to turn down but it turned out wrong.
“It felt so right when he signed and the fans felt it at that Newcastle game when Old Trafford was rocking.”
Solskjaer revealed player power started to bring the club down towards the end of his reign.
He told The Athletic: “When things didn’t go right, you could see certain egos came out.
“Some players felt they should’ve played more and weren’t constructive. That’s a huge sin for me.
“Agents and family members get into their heads and tell them they’re better than they are because they have a vested interest. It’s a disease of modern football.”
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Solskjaer also claimed some players refused to train or play under him.
His successor Erik ten Hag has insisted there was “no good culture” when he arrived at Old Trafford in May last year.
And Solskjaer declared: “I was very disappointed when some said they wouldn’t play or train because they wanted out.
“When you have a group you need everyone to pull in the same direction.”
Ole has never criticised the Glazers but revealed frustrations over missing out on players.
The ex-United striker alerted the owners to Erling Haaland and Moises Caicedo and wanted Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham.
He added: “I would have signed Kane every day of the week. We wanted Jude badly, he’s a United player.”
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