CELEBRITY
Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes lead dressing room revolt against Solskjaer
Pressure is mounting on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as reports emerge that a number of Manchester United stars are unhappy with the Norwegian following the 2-0 loss to Manchester City
He is reportedly on the verge of a ‘dressing room revolt’ with key stars Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo unhappy following recent results.
The Norwegian is on thin ice after overseeing a dreadful run of form. Saturday’s sobering 2-0 defeat against Manchester City condemned United to their sixth defeat in 12 games.
Those results mean United are already nine points behind leaders Chelsea – despite expectations that a serious title challenge would be launched this year.
Following the devastating 5-0 defeat to Liverpool this month, it was reported that Solskjaer had three games to save his job. And although his future remains unclear after mixed results over that short period, dressing room unrest could prove terminal for Solskjaer, who seems to be lurching from one disaster to another.
The Daily Mail reports that various stars in the United squad are unhappy with Solskjaer, with Fernandes and Ronaldo, two of United’s most influential players, leading the ‘revolt’ – with the club now said to be seriously considering axing Solskjaer.
Fernandes is said to be one of several United players who believe that Solskjaer hasn’t given the squad a clear plan.
Solskjaer has chopped and changed his system in the aftermath of that Liverpool mauling, with United deploying a back five in the 3-0 win against Tottenham. But the system has failed to work well against Atalanta and Manchester City.
There are growing concerns at Old Trafford that Solskjaer lacks the tactical nous to tussle with bosses such as Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp.
The report goes on to state that Ronaldo is also far from happy inside the United dressing.
Although the Portuguese star was aware that United are no longer the force now than they were over a decade ago before his departure, but he has apparently been left shocked at just how far standards have slipped.
Ronaldo’s frustration has been evident in recent games with a wild swipe at Curtis Jones before lunging in late on Kevin De Bruyne at the weekend, with United’s No.7 fortunate to avoid seeing red on both occasions.
To make matters worse, some players are said to feel that the United chief shows favouritism to members of the squad, and there is believed to be a growing frustration around how certain players are viewed by Solskjaer.
Donny van de Beek has continued to be ignored since arriving, while Jesse Lingard has also been shunned this term despite the attacker’s impressive return to form at West Ham last season.
United’s squad are apparently baffled as to why Van de Beek in particular hasn’t been given a chance in the first team.
Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first footballer to reach billionaire status, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which has valued the Portugal great’s net worth at an estimated $1.4 billion.
The 40-year-old striker’s financial ascent comes after he signed a new contract with Saudi side Al-Nassr in June reportedly worth more than $400 million.
Bloomberg said that Ronaldo earned more than $550 million in salary between 2002 and 2023, supplemented by a decade-long Nike deal worth nearly $18 million annually, and lucrative endorsements with Armani, Castrol and others that added more than $175 million to his fortune.
Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr from Manchester United in 2023 had already made him the highest-paid player in football history, with an annual salary of 177 million pounds ($237.52 million), plus bonuses and a reported 15% share in his Saudi Arabia club.
Argentina and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has earned more than $600 million in pre-tax salary during his career.
Ronaldo’s billionaire status places him among a rare group of athletes that includes basketball greats Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and LeBron James, golfer Tiger Woods and tennis player Roger Federer.
Ronaldo suggested he is not considering retirement any time soon.
“I still have a passion for this,” he said at the Portugal Football Globes gala on Tuesday. “My family says it’s time to quit and they ask me why I want to score 1000 goals if I’ve already scored 900-something. But I don’t think that way inside.
“I’m still producing good things, I’m helping my club and the national team. Why not continue? I am sure that when I finish I will leave full because I gave everything of myself. I know I don’t have many years left to play, but the few I have left, I have to enjoy them to the fullest.”
-Reuters
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Former England soccer captain David Beckham and actor Gary Oldman were knighted in King Charles’ annual birthday honours list on Saturday, while sculptor Antony Gormley was made a Companion of Honour.
Beckham, 50, joined Manchester United as a trainee in 1993, going on to make almost 400 appearances for the club where he won a string of titles and cups.
He subsequently played for Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, and Inter Milan, as well as captaining his country 58 times and making 115 appearances.
His marriage to fashion designer and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham in 1999 cemented a celebrity status which went far beyond his sporting exploits.
Oldman, 67, started his career on the stage, where he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, before rising to prominence in film. He won the best actor Oscar for playing Winston Churchill in the 2017 drama “Darkest Hour”.
He also had roles in the “Dark Knight Trilogy” and the “Harry Potter” movie series and more recently starred in the TV spy drama “Slow Horses”.
Other famous names receiving honours included damehoods for musical theatre star Elaine Paige, novelist Pat Barker and ceramics maker Emma Bridgewater.
Roger Daltrey, lead singer of rock band the Who and a patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust, received a knighthood for services to charity.
More than 1,200 people received honours for their achievements, with a particular focus on those who had given their time to public service, the government said.
King Charles’ official birthday will be celebrated with the annual “Trooping the Colour” military parade in London on Saturday. His actual birthday is on November 14
-Reuters
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One of three judges in Diego Maradona’s closely scrutinized homicide trial in Argentina resigned on Tuesday amid a scandal triggered by the alleged filming of an unauthorised documentary, bringing uncertainty to the future of legal proceedings.
The high-profile trial over the death of soccer star Maradona began on March 11 in the South American country where the World Cup winner is still revered.
-Reuters
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