Cristiano Ronaldo's specific 'demand' to Ralf Rangnick during time at Man Utd revealed

Cristiano Ronaldo told Ralf Rangnick he refused to sit on the bench as a substitute as part of a workload agreement they had during their time together at Manchester United, a report claims.

It's widely known that Ronaldo's return to United fell short of the success he and supporters had hoped for. The Portuguese star spent several months playing under Rangnick, who assumed the managerial role midway through the 2021/22 season following the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and tensions were evident in their relationship.

Returning to Old Trafford for a second spell, Ronaldo was well into his thirties and found himself grappling with the challenges of executing the pressing systems that had become commonplace in the Premier League.

Recognising the impact of age on performance, Rangnick and Ronaldo engaged in discussions about effectively managing his workload. According to BILD, Ronaldo informed Rangnick that he would participate in four out of every five matches. However, if he was to miss one, he insisted on being left at home rather than sitting on the bench.

In candid remarks regarding Ronaldo's demeanour and challenges, Rangnick has since said: "He's not a pressing monster. He's not a player, even when he was a young player, who was crying, shouting 'hooray, the other team has got the ball, where can we win balls?'

"The same with quite a few other players so we had to make some compromises at one stage, maybe we made a few too many - that’s also possible."

Ronaldo had plenty to say about his interim boss when he spoke to broadcaster Piers Morgan in 2022 - the interview ultimately bringing an end to his second spell at United.

"If you're not even a coach, how are you going to be the boss of Manchester United? I'd never even heard of him," Ronaldo said.

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