Cristiano Ronaldo might as well be the chosen one. The seeds of success for the Portuguese were sown early during his days at Old Trafford. On this note, former teammate Rio Ferdinand has made a sensational revelation about Ronaldo. Ferdinand stated that it was after the club’s decision of ‘not signing Ronaldinho’ that brought CR7 to Manchester.
Manchester United were one of the most sought-after teams when they signed Cristiano Ronaldo in 2003. The club had already won its 8th Premier League title by then. Nevertheless, they were not quick enough to catch hold of the 2002 World Cup winner.
The Brazilian great Ronaldinho was the first choice for Sir Alex Ferguson according to Ferdinand. Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, he said, “It was actually lucky that we signed him(Ronaldo) because it was only on the disappointment of not signing Ronaldinho that summer. We tried to sign Ronaldinho, and he choose to leave PSG and went to Barcelona. I remember the manager was devastated.” But why did this transfer not materialise?
Ronaldinho ditched Ferguson to move to FC Barcelona from PSG at the last minute. The 2002 World Cup winner was on the radar of the Blaugrana, who had missed out on signing David Beckham. Dinho later revealed that he had changed his mind for a friend. He stated, “I was almost on my way to Manchester United, and only the details needed to be put onto that deal. But in the last minute, Rosell called me to tell me they would win the election. That made everything happen fast.”
Rosell was a favorite to become a part of the FC Barcelona board, which led Ronaldinho to choose Barcelona as his next home. This led to an angry Sir Alex, who went on to sign Cristiano from Sporting Lisbon. CR7 turned out to be the ideal replacement for David Beckham, who left after his infamous spat with Fergie.
The manager spotted him in a friendly game during the inauguration of Sporting Lisbon’s new stadium. However, United will not regret the decision, as the Al Nassr star went on to lay the cornerstone for a legacy that remains unmatched. The 38-year-old, with the club, won three Premier League titles, one UEFA Champions League, and also the 2008 Ballon d’Or, an award he criticized recently.
On the other side, Ronaldinho expressed his pleasure in playing at Camp Nou. He earlier said, “I had the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of my idols. I was proud to play where Romario, Ronaldo, and Rivaldo.” Ronaldinho led FCB to their first UEFA Champions League victory after 12 years, winning the UEFA POTY.
