Cristiano Ronaldo’s five most notable fallouts with managers
Cristiano Ronaldo clashed with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus after being left on the bench during Portugal’s recent international break, and the forward walked out of the squad alleging “reasons behind my departure” that he had yet to reveal.
Ronaldo’s dispute with Jesus is the latest in a string of public disagreements with managers across his career. The episodes reviewed here involve Jose Mourinho, Rafael Benitez, Ralf Rangnick (and later Erik ten Hag), Fernando Santos and the recent episode with Jorge Jesus; the report also references Ronaldo having “committed his own Saipan” when he walked out of the Portuguese squad.
Ronaldo’s relationship with Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid was strained from the start over tactics and defensive responsibilities. The pair disagreed on whether Ronaldo should track back; after a 2-0 win over Valencia, Mourinho singled him out in the dressing room and gave him a dressing-down rather than addressing him directly, reportedly instructing his assistant what to say to the player. The situation remained unresolved and Mourinho departed that summer, with President Florentino Perez unable to change the course at the time.
Ronaldo was unhappy when Rafael Benitez replaced Carlo Ancelotti, privately expressing his preference for Ancelotti on social media by calling him an “unbelievable person” and a “fantastic coach.” Benitez sought to defuse the issue by saying they were still “adapting to each other,” but he was dismissed a month later.
At Manchester United, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer initially adopted a policy captured in the slogan “just keep him happy, and everything will be fine.” Under interim manager Ralf Rangnick, United switched to a back three while leading 2-0 against Brentford and Rangnick substituted Ronaldo for Harry Maguire; Ronaldo threw his coat to the ground and Rangnick intervened. Later allegations included a dispute over captaincy preference in favour of Ronaldo over Maguire. After scoring 18 Premier League goals in his first year back, Ronaldo’s second season at United escalated: Erik ten Hag replaced Rangnick and in October Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute against Tottenham, walking down the tunnel before the game ended.
Fernando Santos’ handling of Ronaldo at the 2022 World Cup also drew attention: Santos benched Ronaldo and introduced him in the 73rd minute, prompting significant criticism. Santos repeated the decision to bench Ronaldo against Morocco; Portugal lost that match and Santos subsequently left the national team.
The most recent reported fallout is with Jorge Jesus, who left Ronaldo on the bench during Portugal’s recent international break; Ronaldo walked out of the squad and said only that there were “reasons behind my departure” which he had not disclosed.