Cristiano Ronaldo has been an epitome of success over two decades and in as much as a lot of fans ascribe him as the GOAT-Greatest Of All Time, others have a different opinion.
During the 2022 Summer Transfer Window, that status was not upheld as many clubs rejected an offer to sign the 5-times Ballon D’or winner which some are regretting now.
The fate that befell these clubs are something to be looked into as it is looking like Ronaldo was a needed asset and their management turned down the opportunity to have him play for them.
On Futballnews today, we will be looking at the several clubs that rejected the offer to sign Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer window and how they are faring in their respective leagues now.
Here they are:
Bayern Munich
According to reports, Bayern Munich turned down Cristiano’s agent Jorgen Mendes’ overture regarding a potential transfer because the Bavarians were already interested in Sadio Mane.
Oliver Kahn, CEO of Bayern, claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo would not fit into the club’s guiding principles.
Paris Saint Germain
Many fans would have given anything to have seen Cristiano team up with Lionel Messi, but it was not to be as the French club apparently did not want to add another superstar to a team that already features the likes of Neymar and Kyian Mbappe, further increasing their pay tag.
Barcelona
Ronaldo was reportedly rumored to be interested in a move to Real Madrid’s bitter rivals Barcelona, but Portuguese football analyst Pedro Sepulveda recently refuted the claim.
Chelsea
The Guardian reported that Chelsea decided against signing Ronaldo as well after speaking with the forward’s representatives. Todd Boehly, who was initially enthralled by the prospect of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner playing at Stamford Bridge, spoke with Mendes.
But after speaking with Chelsea then manager Thomas Tuchel, the German was clear that he preferred a more flexible and fluid assault.
Raheem Sterling just joined Chelsea’s roster as well then, and their frontline appears to be pretty talented.
What Happened to those that Rejected Cristiano Ronaldo?
Recently, several fans have seen that the clubs or managers that were overly vocal about the rejection of Ronaldo’s bid have not been faring well with Tuchel being the latest to feel the wrath after rejecting the striker. Tuchel is currently jobless.
Mauricio Pochettino
Pochettino rejected a chance to sign Ronaldo when he was still a coach and saw PSG’s management axe him immediately after that.
Mauricio Pochettino’s second tenure at Paris Saint-Germain came to an end 18 months after his debut as the club’s very ambitious manager and more than 20 years after his time as captain.
Thomas Tuchel
Tuchel was also another coach to feel the effect of Ronaldo. He vehemently turned down an offer to sign the former Real Madrid star claiming he discussed with Ralf Rangnick – Manchester United interim coach that got dismissed too.
Thomas Tuchel was fired by Chelsea on September 7, 2022, following a winless streak in the 2022–23 campaign, making him the fifth-longest-serving manager at Stamford Bridge.
After Chelsea’s sluggish start to the 2017 Premier League campaign—a draw with Tottenham, defeats to Leeds United and Southampton, and just one victory over West Ham—Tuchel was fired.
It came as a surprise when the official Chelsea social media account announced Tuchel’s dismissal on Wednesday morning, just a few hours after they had suffered their first Champions League loss of the season to Dinamo Zagreb of Croatia.
Bayern Struggling after rejecting Cristiano Ronaldo
Bayern Munich is among the clubs that rejected Ronaldo and since this season the German Powerhouse have been struggling with just 3 wins in 11 matches, unlike them.
Bayern currently sits 3rd in the German Bundesliga after just winning 3 matches and drawing 2 matches with just 11 points so far, just behind Dortmund and Freiburg on the table.
Juventus
Juventus also rejected the chance to sign Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer transfer window with fans mocking the Portugal internal with inscriptions saying “Who Needs Ronaldo?”
Well, it is looking like they need Ronaldo the most as they have only won 2 matches in the Italian Serie A this season and are placed in Ronaldo’s favorite number on the log table – 7th.
Atletico Madrid
This Spanish club also rejected Ronaldo in the transfer window with club and fans citing how Ronaldo stopped them from winning at least 2 Champions League with his heroics for both Juventus and Real Madrid.
They are currently in the 8th position in the Spanish La Liga and also in a dilemma of facing a law suit on the transfer saga of Barcelona on Antonnie Griezmann.
