Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has responded to Rio Ferdinand’s claims that Cristiano Ronaldo was directing the team from the bench during their Champions League defeat to Young Boys.
Ronaldo scored the game’s first goal before United was reduced to ten men due to Aaron Wan-red Bissaka’s card.
Get Instantly Update By: Joining Our Whatapps and Telegram Channel
To Ferdinand’s dismay, the 36-year-old was brought out in the second half but remained a vociferous presence on the touchline.
“If I’m the manager, I’ve got to be honest, I’m telling him to sit down,” Ferdinand stated on BT Sport.
I understand. People say things like, “Oh, it’s bravado, it’s for the fans,” when it comes to Cristiano. He’s just a zealous individual. He wants to win, he has to win, and he can’t stop himself.
“If that means he has to go up to the manager’s office and stand next to him, shouting orders and such, so be it. How can you argue with someone of his caliber and prominence in the game?”
But, according to Solskjaer, Ferdinand’s perception of events was incorrect.
He stated of his former Old Trafford teammate, “Rio, sometimes he remarks on stuff he doesn’t really know.”
Martins Pereira should have received a yellow card for bringing down Nemanja Matic. As competitive as Bruno [Fernandes] and Cristiano are, I immediately had them on my shoulder.
“
They were only there for a short time and yelled at the referee. That was the annoyance of a few stupid decisions going against us. But then Cristiano and Bruno took a seat. Only one man is authorized in that technical area, which is either me, Carras [Michael Carrick], Mick [Phelan], or Kieran [McKenna].
It was a spur-of-the-moment thing, and he should have been sent off, so I don’t mind their displaying some zeal and then retreating. It’s not like he [Ronaldo] was in charge of the team’s performance.