"Oh, you’re from the Bronx" - Former Manchester United assistant recalls Cristiano Ronaldo comment and brief stint with the Red Devils

Former Manchester United assistant coach Chris Armas has recalled his first interaction with Cristiano Ronaldo upon arriving at the club. Armas, an American by nationality, was at the club during Ralf Rangnick's time as the technical director.

Armas claimed he didn't feel like an outcast upon his arrival. He further went on to speak about his first meeting with Cristiano Ronaldo. He told the Athletic (via Caughtoffside):

“When I initially got there, it wasn’t like, ‘Oh, the American is here'. It didn’t feel like that. You talk to players and Cristiano (Ronaldo) is like, ‘Oh, you’re from the Bronx'. They read a little bit about you, they know a few things here and there."

Rangnick took charge in the middle of the 2021-22 season after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked. The Red Devils, however, couldn't secure a top-four finish that season. Armas claimed that he became an easy media target after the club's failures.

“But I would say at some point, when things were getting tougher for the club in terms of results, yeah, I think I was an easy target. Things came out publicly, the training sessions, what have you, that frankly were just not true. So journalists, or whoever is putting that out there, just flat-out lying. Just lies. So that part, is it because I’m American? I’m not sure. But I think I became an easy target at a certain point in the season when things weren’t going well.”

What is Cristiano Ronaldo's record under Ralf Rangnick at Manchester United?

Cristiano Ronaldo played only half a season at Manchester United under Ralf Rangnick. The Portuguese scored 12 goals and provided one assist in 22 games under the German manager.

Manchester United finished the 2021-22 season in sixth place in the Premier League and failed to win any silverware. Rangnick's time at the helm came to an end upon the conclusion of the campaign.

After Rangnick, Erik ten Hag was appointed as the permanent manager at the start of the 2022-23 season. Ten Hag, however, used Ronaldo as a bit-part player and often left him on the bench.

That didn't sit well with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner. After an explosive interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo mutually terminated his contract with Manchester United and has since been playing for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr after joining them as a free agent.