5 worst managers to have coached Cristiano Ronaldo
Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo is truly a world star and a legendary footballer by every metric. The Portuguese superstar has scored for fun all throughout his career and has etched his name into the folklore of every team he has represented.
Ronaldo boasts five Champions League trophies and league winner’s medals in England, Spain and Italy, making him one of the most successful players ever. Consistent success at such a high level can only be achieved with high-quality teammates and management working in unison with the superb forward.
Ronaldo has played under some of the greatest managers in the game, enjoying a close relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson, one of the greatest managers of all time. The Portuguese superstar has also played under visionaries such as Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane.
Cristiano Ronaldo:
🗣 “We were led by a great coach, Sir Alex Ferguson, who knew how to get the most out of his players. The year we scored so many goals. Me, Rooney and Tevez. I loved it there. We won the league and the Champions League. That was our best year.” https://t.co/q4YxMwLqTU
However, Ronaldo has not always been as fortunate in his management. The Portuguese ace has also endured some rather below-par managers in his time. In this article we list the five worst managers to coach Cristiano Ronaldo:
#5 Rafa Benitez | coached Ronaldo at Real Madrid
The former Liverpool manager should probably never have taken the reins at the Santiago Bernabeu. In fairness, Rafa Benitez prospered years earlier, having found La Liga success with Valencia, but Real Madrid's appointment couldn't have come at a worse time.
Right before he joined Los Blancos in 2013, Benitez had performed poorly with Napoli, finishing a poor Serie A campaign outside the Champions League slots. What was the chance he would do better at Madrid?
'There is no debate, he is the best in the world' - Rafa Benitez praise for Cristiano Ronaldo skysports.tv/pxPg6z http://t.co/UFsCRIKuua
Benitez's relationship with the Madridistas quickly soured, and so did his relationship with the club's marksman Cristiano Ronaldo. The duo were clearly not on the best of terms and within months, Ronaldo had reportedly threatened to leave the club. The final straw came with a 4-0 El Clasico loss to Barcelona, and seven months after his appointment, Benitez was sacked.
#4 Paulo Bento | coached Ronaldo with Portugal
After a shock 1-0 loss to Albania in 2014, Paulo Bento's four-year tenure as the head coach of the Portugal national team came to an abrupt end. The current South Korea manager enjoyed a start to his career at the helm of A Selecao, but he couldn't maintain the good performances to secure his position. The 2012 Euro games went well for Portugal as the team got to the semifinals. However, their abysmal entrance into the 2014 World Cup could hardly be ignored.
Although Cristiano Ronaldo flourished and found goals under Bento's management, inability to minimize conceded goals ensured failure for the team. Portugal struggled to qualify for the World Cup, eventually having to beat Sweden to pull through. It didn't matter much as Selecao faltered badly, ultimately getting eliminated in the group stages. Although Bento remained as coach, the loss to Albania was a little too much for the country's FA.