- Manchester United said their last goodbyes to departed forward Cristiano Ronaldo
- United bided their goodbye on Wednesday when they took on Championship side Burnley in the EFL Carabao Cup
- This was United’s first competitive match since the conclusion of the 2022 FIFA World Cup
In their matchday program for Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup match against Burnley, Manchester United said their final goodbyes to Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese international was let go by the Red Devils in late November after he disparaged the team in a well-known interview with Piers Morgan.
United’s first official game after Ronaldo’s departure was the cup encounter against Burnley, and the occasion was marked by a reminder of how the union ended.
Manchester United fans at the stands of Old Trafford biding goodbye to Cristiano Ronaldo when the club played Burnley in the EFL Cup on Wednesday, Dec 21, 2022. | PHOTO: Manchester United |
“Cristiano Ronaldo left the club by mutual agreement last month,” the programme notes read.
“The Portuguese superstar scored 145 goals across two spells and 436 appearances and helped us win three Premier League titles, one FA Cup, two League Cups, the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup. Ronaldo was also crowned Ballon d’Or winner in 2008.
“In a statement on November 22, the club put on record its gratitude for Cristiano’s immense contribution and wished him and his family well for the future.”
Manchester United went on to win the match against Burnley to seal their place in the quarterfinals of the 2022/23 EFL Carabao Cup season.
Goals from Christian Eriksen and Marcus Rashford ensured Manchester United defeated Burnley 2-0 to go smoothly to the EFL Cup quarterfinals on Vincent Kompany’s return to Old Trafford.
The legendary Kompany of Manchester City frequently defeated United in derbies, but on Wednesday, his return to Manchester United as manager of Burnley resulted in a defeat in the fourth round.
In United’s first game after the World Cup, Rashford extended the lead in the second half after Eriksen had given the team the lead in the 27th minute.
Ronaldo has not yet announced where he will play after a poor World Cup campaign with Portugal.
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo has since left Manchester United and is clubless after the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar. | PHOTO: Independent |
The storied forward struggled in Qatar until being replaced by Goncalo Ramos, who scored three goals in a 6-1 hammering of Switzerland in the round of 16. However, Morocco eliminated the Selecao from the competition on penalties.
Axel Hellmann, the CEO of Eintracht Frankfurt, recently disclosed that his team had the opportunity to sign Ronaldo, who was also the subject of a record-breaking offer from the Saudi Arabian team Al-Nassr.
Erik ten Hag, the manager, will now focus on strengthening his team in January. According to SportsLeo, the Dutchman is still interested in Frenkie de Jong, a midfielder for Barcelona. At the same time, United has also approved a deal for Cody Gakpo, a World Cup star.
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