Fergie’s stolen Ronaldo AGAIN
Wenger: Sir Alex stepped in to stop CR7 signing for Gunners in 2003... now he’s done same to Pep’s City
ARSENE WENGER reckons his old rival Sir Alex Ferguson has stolen Cristiano Ronaldo for a second time – this time from Manchester City.
But the former Arsenal boss thinks Manchester United’s re-signing of the Portuguese star is “not 100 per cent rational”.
The Frenchman recalled how the teenage Ronaldo came close to joining his club in 2003 before the Scot’s late intervention.
And now the 36-year-old has returned to Old Trafford thanks to Ferguson after CR7 held talks with the blue side of Manchester about playing under Pep Guardiola.
Wenger insisted: “It’s more than just sporting reasons, it’s also emotional. The decision is not 100 per cent rational.
“Finding a balance in the team is a big challenge. People with a lot of experience still score a lot.
“I believe Sir Alex played a big role. He was supposed to go to
Arsenal at the time and he took him away from me.
“Now he has done that with City. Ronaldo was at our training ground and had an Arsenal shirt.
“But at that time [Portuguese coach] Carlos Queiroz was Sir Alex’s assistant and convinced him to buy 18-year-old Ronaldo. We could only pay four million euros. Back then Manchester United paid 12m.”
Speaking to German TV, Wenger was asked about a possible return to his old club.
Mikel Arteta’s side are bottom of the Premier League after losing their first three games.
But the Frenchman, gaffer at
Arsenal from 1996 to 2018, said: “I’m 71. I’ve given this club the best years of my life. Today the club is in good shape.
“They had two tough games, the team has potential. At the moment, I’m just a fan.”
Wenger is FIFA’s head of global football development and is backing a World Cup every two years despite opposition from UEFA and clubs.
The plan would see all international qualifiers grouped in two windows in October and March, with a major tournament every summer from 2028.
Wenger said: “What people want today are big games with meaning.”