An unstoppable recovery of the head, at the end of additional time.
The jersey removed allowing to admire the protruding abs.
And the VAR which refuses the goal for an offside.
The last moments of Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus, on August 22 against Udinese (2-2), are like the end of his Turin adventure.
The Portuguese, performing until the end, will keep a bitter taste of these three rich seasons of two Serie A, but especially of bitter failures in the Champions League, the obsession of Ronaldo and Juve.
There was no longer any doubt that he left a club in the grip of big financial worries.
In the last days of the transfer window, the five-time Ballon d'Or took the direction of Manchester.
No, not the one you think of.
To discover
Premier League standings
Premier League fixtures and results
It is Manchester City, neighboring rival of the Red Devils, who seemed to hold the rope in the Ronaldo file. Until United woke up, starting with fellow CR7 compatriot Bruno Fernandes, who later proclaimed himself “
Agent Bruno
”. But also by the former teammate and defender from Mancun, Rio Ferdinand, and especially by Sir Alex Ferguson who "
played a huge role
" in this return, according to Ferdinand. "
Wow wow wow, he's back at home,
" said Marcus Rashford, who was only 5 years old when Ronaldo made his Manchester debut in August 2003. "
The biggest transfer in the history of the football
”, ignited his former teammate and friend, Patrice Evra.
SEE ALSO -
Cristiano Ronaldo on his return: "I'm not on vacation"
Ronaldo, Pogba and the 4-2-3-1 Mancunian
Since then, the English club has flooded its social networks with photos of its "
new
" recruit. The enthusiasm is total. Such excitement hadn't run through Manchester thoroughfares in years. But once the adrenaline hits, what to expect? Cristiano Ronaldo is no longer in his early youth, the one that Manchester United reveled in. He will celebrate his 37th birthday next February. His playing time did not drop last season, on the contrary. But his way of playing is more different than ever from that of the fiery winger the Red Devils knew. Gray-grays have become rare. The acceleration on the first step squeaks. But the quality of placement in the box, the head game and the scoring instinct near the surface are intact.
In short, Ronaldo looks more like a center forward than ever. Even if he refused this label in 2017, in an interview with the Chinese press: “
At times, I may appear to be a 9 but I am not. I like having freedom in the field.
“His place in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's 4-2-3-1 makes sense, Ronaldo will be in the lead.
With a Paul Pogba on the left, as is the case at the start of the season?
Likely.
The French shone in this role, and when he replaced Scott McTominay in front of the defense against Wolverhampton, the Mancunian balance was in danger despite the victory (0-1).
But keeping Pogba on the left would leave Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Edinson Cavani on the bench.
A problem… of the rich.
To which Solskjaer will provide the first answers this Saturday (4 p.m.) against Newcastle.
With him we know that we are closer to winning (trophies).
Bruno Fernandes, Portuguese midfielder from Manchester United.
A story to (re) write
On the ground, the future connections between Ronaldo and Pogba, author of 4 assists against Leeds on August 14 (5-1), make you salivate. "
It's always a pleasure to play with the best,"
commented the middle of the Blues at the microphone of
TF1
last Sunday.
It is also a boost for the players to train with a champion. The level will increase.
"The other Portuguese star of the Red Devils, Bruno Fernandes, follows suit:"
With him, we know that we are closer to winning (trophies).
"
Because it is this hunger for success that has fueled Ronaldo for so many years. Since 2013 and the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United have been chasing a league title. At the same time, City have been crowned 4 times. Embarrassing for the reds. There is also the Champions League, where the Red Devils have not played a semi-final since 2011. And where Ronaldo, top scorer in the history of the competition (135), is aiming for a sixth coronation. He would thus equal the record of the former glory of Real Madrid, Paco Gento. Could his biggest failure at Juve be his biggest accomplishment at Manchester? Ronaldo believes it hard as iron.