"It would be nice for a lot of reasons" - Ex-Manchester United coach backs Cristiano Ronaldo to return to Europe after Saudi stint
Former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen has backed Cristiano Ronaldo to make a sensational return to Europe after his stint in Saudi Arabia. The trainer reckons it'd be interesting to see Ronaldo call time on his career on European soil.
Cristiano Ronaldo left European club football when he left Manchester United to join Saudi Arabian giants Al-Nassr back in December 2022 following his controversial interview with Piers Morgan, resulting in a contract termination by mutual consent.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has spent one-and-a-half seasons in the Middle East and has only one year left in his contract. As he approaches the final months on his deal with the Saudi giants, rumours of a potential return to Europe have started gathering momentum.
Speaking to Gambling Zone, former Manchester United coach Meulensteen echoed the voices of many of the 39-year-old's supporters by endorsing a potential homecoming followed by an eventual retirement in Europe.
"There would be some romance in Cristiano Ronaldo returning to Europe to finish his career off," the trainer, who worked as a member of Sir Alex Ferguson's coaching staff at Old Trafford remarked.
"But, one of the problems we saw with Portugal is that the focus becomes all about Ronaldo. It was all too focused on him, which didn’t help, even though Ronaldo can still do a job as long as he understands his role and what he can contribute."
Meulensteen went on to explain that Cristiano Ronaldo would need to adapt to a new role if he returns to Europe, as he isn't the same player he used to be a decade earlier.
"He also needs to understand that he’s not the same player anymore, not the same as Cristiano Ronaldo when he was 28. He can still play an important role in many aspects."
"So yeah, I think it would be nice for a lot of reasons if he returned to Europe, maybe with Sporting. It will be really interesting to see when eventually he announces his retirement from football," the trainer added.
Despite turning 39 this year, it looks like Cristiano Ronaldo hasn't run out of fuel. The Portuguese has scored in his first three games of the season for Al-Nassr since returning from Euro 2024.
He found the back of the net against Al-Taawoun and Al-Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup before adding another in the 1-1 draw with Al Raed in the league on Thursday (August 22).
Cristiano Ronaldo to retire in Europe? Exploring the options
Considering the bad blood caused by his controversial interview with Morgan that led to his departure from Old Trafford, Manchester United are unlikely to make any move for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner anytime soon.
The door at Real Madrid also appears closed for such a move right now, considering how heavily stacked the club are in attack right now after Kylian Mbappe and Endrick linked up the likes of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo this summer.
That makes Sporting Lisbon the most feasible option for the Portuguese icon. If he returns there and eventually retires where the story began.