"They don't have a structure" - Cristiano Ronaldo details reason for Manchester United's struggles in the recent past

Cristiano Ronaldo has named a lack of structure as the main problem of Manchester United, expressing his lack of satisfaction at the state of the club. The Al-Nassr superstar had two spells with the Red Devils, first bursting onto limelight during his time with the club.

Piers Morgan held an exclusive interview with the Portuguese great, in which he asked for Cristiano Ronaldo's thoughts on how Manchester United is right now. The 40-year-old agreed to his interviewer's assertion that the club is in a worse place than it was when he left three years ago, blaming it on a lack of proper structure.

“For me, I'm sad because of the club, that’s one of the most important clubs in the world, and a club that I still have in my heart because of the obvious reasons. You have to follow with the intelligent people, smart people, to create a base for the future as Manchester United have [done] so many years ago. Nicky Butt, Gary, Roy Keane, Beckham, they became big players but they had youth. So Manchester United right now, they don't have a structure. I hope that changes in the future, present/future, because the potential of the club, it's amazing. It's one of the most important clubs of the century. Of course [it hurts me] I love that club, but we have to be honest and say they're not in a good path. They need to change and it's not only about the coach and players in my opinion, it's much more than that", he said (via @PiersUncensored on X).

Cristiano Ronaldo joined Manchester United as an 18-year-old from boyhood club Sporting Club and quickly became one of the world's best players. He received the Ballon d'Or in 2008 before leaving for Real Madrid for a then-world record fee one year later.

Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford in 2021 before leaving in December 2022 after his contract was cancelled following a falling out with the club's management. The Red Devils remain his last club in Europe, as he signed a deal until 2027 with Al-Nassr in the summer.

Cristiano Ronaldo throws weight behind former teammate at Manchester United

Cristiano Ronaldo has thrown his weight behind former teammate and Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim over their performances. The Red Devils have shown a great deal of inconsistency in recent years, finishing in a dismal 15th place in the Premier League last season.

Ronaldo spoke with Piers Morgan in an exclusive interview, pointing out that Amorim is doing his best with an impossible situation. He stated that some of the players on the books of the club do not understand the stature of the club that they play for.

“He’s doing his best. What are you going to do? Miracles. Miracles is impossible. We say in Portugal, ‘Miracles is only in Fatima’... And he’s not gonna do miracles. They have good players but they don’t have, some of them, in mind what Manchester United is", he said (via talkSPORT).

Ruben Amorim played with Cristiano Ronaldo for the Portuguese national team before going on to become a coach. He joined the Red Devils in November 2024 and led them to the final of the UEFA Europa League, where they lost to Tottenham Hotspur.

Edited by Sulayman Salahudeen