"He was no longer the player he wanted to be" - Club president makes bullish claim on Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo left Juventus for Manchester United this summer. Sampdoria President Massimo Ferrero believes it was the best move for all concerned parties. He claimed that the Portuguese realized he was no longer the player he used to be in Turin.

Ferrero was quoted as saying:

"At times it’s better to give up on a few Euro rather than keep someone who doesn’t want to stay with you and because of that isn’t giving their best. It’s better for all concerned that Ronaldo left and it’s better for him that he realized he was no longer the Ronaldo he wanted to be."

Cristiano Ronaldo has signed a two-year contract to return to Manchester United https://t.co/wsJ04IbEhn

— Sky News (@SkyNews) August 31, 2021

Cristiano Ronaldo ended his three-year association with Juventus this summer as he completed a €15 million (plus €8m in add-ons) move to Manchester United. He signed a two-year contract with the Red Devils and will reportedly pocket a gargantuan £480,000 per week at Old Trafford.

The attacker joined Juventus in the summer of 2018 in a €100 million transfer from Real Madrid. During his three-year stint with the Serie A giants, he recorded an impressive 101 goals and 22 assists to his name in 134 appearances for the Old Lady across all competitions.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice for Portugal yesterday

Cristiano Ronaldo makes history with Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo has shown in the international break what to expect in the coming weeks.

🇵🇹 𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗗𝗢 𝗠𝗔𝗞𝗘𝗦 𝗛𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬! 🇵🇹Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the highest ever men’s international goalscorer! 👏 pic.twitter.com/xyMsg4zCvk

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) September 1, 2021

The forward led Portugal's attack in their World Cup qualifier clash with Ireland, scoring two brilliant goals to earn his side an important 2-1 victory. With those goals, he surpassed Iran's Ali Daei to become the leading goalscorer in men's international football He now has an incredible tally of 111 goals to his name in international football.

Manchester United will be hoping to see similar performances from the iconic winger as they aim to displace city rivals Manchester City from the pinnacle of English football. Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to make his first appearance for the Red Devils on September 11 when they take on Newcastle United for their fourth Premier League game of the season.

Cristiano Ronaldo reveals who convinced him to join Manchester United

Speaking on Manchester United's website for the first time since re-joining the club, Cristiano Ronaldo said:

"Everyone knows Sir Alex was the key when I signed for United in 2003. Sir Alex is like a father in football to me. He helped me a lot and taught me many things. We have a relationship and we keep in touch all the time. He is an unbelievable person. I like him a lot. In my opinion, he was the main reason for me to re-join Manchester United."