Fans believe Cristiano Ronaldo has aimed a dig at former managers Erik ten Hag and Rafael Benitez in a recent interview. The Portuguese superstar has played under 19 managers during his illustrious career.
From the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson to Jose Mourinho and Zinedine Zidane, CR7 has worked with some big names in football. They have all influenced his game and had a part in his rise to stardom.
However, as cited by acclaimed journalist Fabrizio Romano, Cristiano Ronaldo stated that he also played under some really bad coaches in his career.
“I had some really bad coaches. Some of them don't have a f*cking clue about football at all…,” said Ronaldo.
Fans immediately took to social media to discuss the Portuguese superstar's comment. One stated that the player was referring to Ten Hag and Benitez, commenting:
"Bodied Ten Hag and Benitez"
Another added:
"Benitez lmao"
Another wondered if the 39-year-old was referring to Ten Hag, posting:
"Is he talking about Ten Hag here?"
Another quipped:
"I will forever hate ten hag forever"
One fan called out Rafael Benitez on the back of CR7's comments, stating:
"RAFA BENITEZ WE REMEMBER"
Another added:
"Lol, that's ten hang"
One fan insisted that everyone knows that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is talking about Rafael Benitez, posting a GIF of the Spaniard with the comment:
"We all know who he's talking about, if you know you know"
Another chimed in:
"Definitely talking about Ten Hag"
Cristiano Ronaldo currently plies his trade under former AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli at Al-Nassr.
How many games did Cristiano Ronaldo play under Rafael Benitez and Erik ten Hag?
Cristiano Ronaldo briefly played under Benitez at Real Madrid in the 2015/16 season, before the Spaniard was sacked in January 2016. CR7 registered 25 goals from 24 games under Benitez, who was subsequently replaced by Zinedine Zidane.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo played under Erik ten Hag during his second stint at Manchester United and had an infamous fallout with the Dutch manager. The Portuguese superstar scored three goals from 16 games under Ten Hag in the 2022/23 season.
However, he ended up criticizing the Dutchman in a public interview, forcing the Red Devils to terminate his contract. CR7 left Old Trafford in December 2022 to move to Al-Nassr. He has registered 23 goals and four assists from 24 games across competitions for the Saudi Arabian side this campaign.