No, he’s never going to retire. And neither will the Special One. They’re more likely to reunite than call it quits.
That’s the case with Jose Mourinho‘s latest outreach efforts to fellow countryman and former player Cristiano Ronaldo. Can he lure the legendary striker to Istanbul?
The two shared remarkable success at the Santiago Bernabeu, winning La Liga in 2012 and Copa del Rey the year before. CR7 seethed with 168 goals in 164 matches under Mourinho. They want to reignite that prolific magic. 40-year-old Ronaldo has not lost a stop and continues to turn heads in the Middle East.
CR7’s scoring spree for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr is unprecedented, notching 68 goals and dropping 18 assists in 79 matches. But the forward’s contract expires next summer. Should he stay, or should he go?
Mourinho personally asked Ronaldo in a one-on-one chat earlier this week, “Are you happy there? There is talk that you want to leave. If you leave, would you like to come to [the club]?”
Ronaldo is linked with a shock move to Al-Hilal to fill the Neymar void. The Brazilian will likely leave after a string of injuries saw him play only a handful of games. Ronaldo, who’s called Riyadh home for the past two seasons on a $200 million a year in salary, could do no wrong in extending his stay. Also, the wife likes it.
While playing back in Europe sounds intriguing for Mr. Champions League, the 61-year-old Portuguese is more desperate. Mourinho is trying to save face. His side remains second behind Galatasaray, and he recently belittled Super Lig in an anti-ref diatribe. “Who wants to watch this Turkish League abroad?” he recently questioned in a post-game press conference. Oops.
It’s doubtful that any deal for Ronaldo would take place this winter due to ungodly transfer fees. But Fenerbahce’s Director of football, Mario Branco, is in touch with Ronaldo’s side to plant seeds for a free transfer next summer.
Will Ronaldo head back to Europe? He’ll do everything he can to prepare for World Cup 2026. Interestingly, he’s also been linked with a second return to Manchester United under new boss Ruben Amorim. But what is most likely is that CR7 heads back home to where his career started: in Lisbon. After all, they want to rename the stadium after him.
