5 worst managers to have coached Cristiano Ronaldo

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Manchester United v West Ham United - Premier League
Manchester United v West Ham United - Premier League

#3 Maurizio Sarri | coached Ronaldo at Juventus

Hellas Verona v Juventus - Serie A
Hellas Verona v Juventus - Serie A

It didn't matter to the Bianconeri that Maurizio Sarri had handed the club their ninth successive Scudetto. The former Chelsea manager was fired two weeks after Juventus joyfully carried the trophy that signified their dominance in Italy. However, the club had been kicked out of the Champions League in dramatic fashion by none other than minnows Olympique Lyonnais. Someone had to take the fall for such a stunning failure, and even a Serie A title wasn't enough to keep Sarri's job.

Sarri's move to Turin hardly sat well with the Juventini faithful, many of whom had little love for the former Napoli manager. His tactics were rather difficult for his aging squad to interpret, and that ensured that Sarri struggled to form a symbiotic relationship with the team. Cristiano Ronaldo may have scored more goals under Sarri than he did under any other coach at Juventus, but it wasn't enough to save the manager's job.


#2 Andrea Pirlo | coached Ronaldo at Juventus

Juventus v FC Internazionale - Coppa Italia
Juventus v FC Internazionale - Coppa Italia

Many pundits have given their best responses as to why Cristiano Ronaldo left Juventus for Manchester United. Whatever the reason, Ronaldo was reportedly disillusioned in Turin, and Juventus didn't mind removing his massive wages from their books. However, Andrea Pirlo is the man who will bear some blame for Ronaldo's reported annoyance and decision to leave the Bianconeri. Juventus notably went from the child-like excitement of introducing a club legend as coach to a sour sack in just one season.

Pirlo lacked the experience to manage the largest club in Italy, having never managed any other club before. Apart from that, too many players in his squad were aging, and the striking partnership between Ronaldo and Alvaro Morata lacked consistency. Ronaldo may have had a great season under Pirlo, in terms of goals, but many players like Paulo Dybala didn't. Finally, Juventus being eliminated by Porto was too much shame for the Bianconeri to bear, and Pirlo's sack became inevitable.


#1 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer | coached Ronaldo at Manchester United

Leicester City v Manchester United - Premier League
Leicester City v Manchester United - Premier League

When Ronaldo re-signed for Manchester United last summer, there was so visible excitement about the club's future. The Red Devils had also signed Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho, and it looked like they were set to challenge for the title with "Ole at the wheel". However, it was not to be. By the time Solskjaer was sacked, Manchester United were struggling to find their place in the Premier League's continental spots.

Ronaldo is far from happy at Old Trafford if reports are to be believed, and it's understandable: he didn't join the club to play in the Europa League next season. Although the Portuguese ace scored goals under Solskjaer's management, the rest of the team was in dire straits. They could barely string wins together, and Ronaldo was forced to score late winners to keep the side afloat. What should have been the star's re-emergence as a United legend has, so far, become a sub-par struggle for league table relevance. Solskjaer's sacking was inevitable after torrid displays, including a 5-0 loss to longtime rivals Liverpool.

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Edited by Arnav Kholkar
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