Ralf Rangnick denied Cristiano Ronaldo's demand to strip Harry Maguire of Manchester United captaincy: Reports

Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly put in a request to be Manchester United's captain last season but was denied by the then interim manager Ralf Rangnick.

Harry Maguire was and is the current club captain at Old Trafford. However, he has come under fire for his performances since the beginning of last season. With the Red Devils struggling last season, they sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and brought in Rangnick as interim manager.

ESPN have claimed that Ronaldo asked the German to strip Maguire of the captaincy and make him the captain. However, Rangnick refused to do so.

Manchester United struggled massively under the German as well and finished sixth in the league table. They accumulated their worst-ever points tally in the Premier League with 58 points.

Erik ten Hag replaced Rangnick at the start of the 2022-23 campaign. While he retained Maguire as captain, the Englishman fell behind Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane in the pecking order.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, had a tense relationship with Ten Hag which led to him giving an explosive interview with Piers Morgan in November 2022. He even took a dig at Rangnick, saying he wasn't 'even a coach'.

The Portuguese ace eventually departed Manchester United after the mutual termination of his contract. He now plies his trade for the Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr.

Maguire, meanwhile, has started just 12 games for the club this season, with Bruno Fernandes acting as captain in his absence.

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Erik ten Hag on Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from Manchester United

The Portuguese forward evidently had a tense relationship with Ten Hag from the beginning of the Dutchman's tenure at the club. He skipped pre-season due to his daughter's illness and had to start on the bench for a few games due to a lack of fitness.

Ronaldo then also refused to be subbed late on during Manchester United's game against Tottenham Hotspur and walked off into the tunnel. In his interview with Piers Morgan, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner claimed that he felt disrespected by Ten Hag.

The Dutchman shared his thoughts on the forward's departure, saying:

“I had reasons and I also knew the consequence if it was a negative outcome. But I am not worrying and I sleep well in those nights. I have to take decisions in respect of advancing the club. I have to see and face the consequences, the impact of the decisions.”

Ronaldo has scored nine goals in 10 games for Al-Nassr.

Ten Hag, meanwhile, has led Manchester United to their first silverware since 2017 as they won the Carabao Cup.