Cristiano Ronaldo is being backed to emulate Diego Simeone and Zinedine Zidane when making a move into management after hanging up his boots.
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Portuguese still going strong at 39No retirement date being discussedTipped to make a move into coachingGettyWHAT HAPPENED?
The iconic Portuguese has offered no indication that retirement is on the cards, with the all-time great still going strong at 39 years of age. He hit 50 goals for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr last season, before gracing an 11th major international tournament at Euro 2024.
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When the day comes to call time on a record-breaking playing career, CR7 is being tipped by former Manchester United team-mate Louis Saha to step into the dugout. The Frenchman has told of why Ronaldo will make a great boss: “Cristiano Ronaldo has the ability to be a very successful manager, we’ve seen his energy and his passion. He’d have the desire of Diego Simeone and the credibility of Zinedine Zidane. That combination as well as all his experience of working under Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti as well as Sir Alex Ferguson, the knowledge he would bring is crazy. It’s not just about football but he represents so much in terms of how you should conduct yourself and go about achieving your goals, he could be a manager, a club president. It’s admirable what he has done, he’s a human being that makes mistakes like anybody but he has never stopped working hard.”
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Ronaldo has no need to extend his association with professional football when hanging up his boots, as he has earned enough money to last several lifetimes. Saha is tipping him to become a coach, but added on the legacy that has already been put in place: “Cristiano Ronaldo has proven everything he needs to prove, he has no obligation to do anything else now – he has done it all. He is the best ambassador of sport in general, I haven't seen any athlete in the world who has sacrificed as much as he has. Some will call him obsessed or crazy but he is the greatest to ever do it. I respect the player and the man and not just because I played with him, it doesn’t matter where he ends up retiring because of what he has done in the game.”
WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?
Ronaldo has rejoined the fold at Al-Nassr, with 12 months left to run on his contract in the Middle East, and may yet decide to play on to the 2026 World Cup – with talk of retracing steps back to Lisbon and first club Sporting seemingly never far away.