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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Jack Flintham

'Cristiano Ronaldo will return to Europe' - Al-Nassr boss gives update on ex-Man United star

Former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo will return to Europe before retiring, according to his current manager Rudi Garcia.

Ronaldo and United parted ways after the forward's controversial interview with Piers Morgan in November. The 37-year-old was the only free agent at the World Cup in Qatar.

Following the tournament, which saw Portugal knocked out at the quarter-final stage, Ronaldo signed for Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr. Many have expected that this will be the forward's last club before retirement, however, Garcia is confident that the great will not finish his career in the Middle East.

ALSO READ: Ronaldo 'sends' invitation to former United teammates

Speaking to the media, the former AS Roma boss said: "Cristiano Ronaldo is a positive addition, as he helps to disperse defenders. He is one of the best players in the world.

"He will not finish his career at Al-Nassr, he will return to Europe." It has not been the ideal start to life for Ronaldo at his new club so far."

In his two competitive outings to date, Ronaldo has failed to score or assist. This has led to Garcia warning his players to try and not always aim for the Portuguese star when picking a pass.

"Ronaldo missed a chance on goal that would have turned the game around in the first-half but I congratulate Al-Ittihad," he explained after a recent cup defeat. "They were much better than us until the break.

"So we reacted but we could no longer turn around. We lost the Super Cup but we are still first in the championship.

"It is very important that the players play normally and don’t always try to give Cristiano the ball. I told them they had to make the right decisions on the field.

"Obviously, when Cristiano or Talisca are alone and ask for the ball, we have to give them the ball. These two players are capable of making a difference.

"I think sometimes we had good crossing positions, but there were not enough people in the box, sometimes not Ronaldo or Talisca. We have to work on it, have one of them in the area and maybe the other will play outside the area."

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