“That clown who no one will remember needs a wake up!” - When Pietersen forced Manchester United to remove post after Cristiano Ronaldo saga

Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen once called former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag 'a clown' for his treatment of Cristiano Ronaldo. The incident happened in 2022, when the Portuguese superstar's relationship with the Dutch manager was deteriorating.

Ten Hag had kept Ronaldo on the bench for the 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in October that year. The Dutchman had later revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo had refused to come on during the game.

Things went out of hand and the Portuguese was soon training away from the team. Meanwhile, Manchester United shared an Instagram post with Pietersen's picture ahead of the T20 World Cup. The post read:

"It's T20 World Cup szn. We've welcomed cricketing legends, played at iconic venues and met up with plenty of heroes over the years."

The Englishman was quick to respond and slammed the Red Devils and Ten Hag for disrespecting Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Please take my picture down? I don't want an association with a club that's managed by a clown who is completely disrespecting the greatest footballer of our time. @cristiano is the BOSS! That clown who no one will ever remember needs a wake up!," wrote Pietersen.

Manchester United immediately removed Pietersen's picture and his comment from the post. Ronaldo left the club in December that year, and joined Saudi club Al-Nassr. Erik ten Hag hung around a little longer, won the EFL Cup and the FA Cup before he was replaced by Ruben Amorim last November.

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How many trophies did Cristiano Ronaldo win with Manchester United?

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo won nine trophies with Manchester United, all during his first stint with the club. Ronaldo's first silverware with the Premier League giants was the 2003-04 FA Cup, which he won in his debut season.

The Portuguese won the EFL Cup in the 2005/06 season and once again the following campaign. He won the league in the 2006/07 season and helped the Red Devils retain the trophy for the next two campaigns.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner won the Champions League for the first time in the 2007-08 season. He helped them reach the final the following year, but ended up second best to Barcelona and Lionel Messi.

Ronaldo also got his hands on the FIFA Club World Cup and the Community Shield during his time with Manchester United. CR7 has scored 145 goals and set up 64 more from 346 games for the Red Devils over two stints.