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In an exclusive interview with the FourFourTwo magazine, former EPL striker Louis Saha has opened up on the rift between Cristiano Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy at Manchester United.
The famous incident took place in 2005 a few months after Cristiano Ronaldo's father had passed away. Ruud van Nistelrooy was unaware of the Portuguese winger's terrible personal tragedy and insulted Cristiano Ronaldo during a training session.
Cristiano Ronaldo joined Manchester United as a young sensation in 2003. The Red Devils profited immensely from the Portuguese youngster's signature. The incredibly talented winger was added to a formidable roster of players including Wayne Rooney and Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Van Nistelrooy was the first-choice striker for Manchester United at the time and did not particularly get on with Cristiano Ronaldo. According to Louis Saha, the Dutch forward would often want the ball at his feet and did not take kindly to Cristiano Ronaldo's dribbling exploits.
"Ruud had that kind of ego, he wanted all the passes. And some times, for the development of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, it was difficult for the manager to deal with."
Cristiano Ronaldo was only a teenager at the time and did not have an excellent through-ball in his burgeoning list of skills as yet. This hampered Van Nistelrooy's goal tally and eventually led to an unfortunate incident during a training session.
Also Read: Cristiano Ronaldo was once pinned against the wall by Ryan Giggs in a shocking episode
Ruud van Nistelrooy took aim at Cristiano Ronaldo's father in a training ground bust-up
Louis Saha's comments about the infamous incident come as no surprise to fans of Manchester United. While Ruud van Nistelrooy was an exceptional striker in his prime, the Dutchman was a highly controversial and will be remembered for his famous clashes with Arsenal players Patrick Vieira and Martin Keown.
During a training session, Van Nistelrooy confronted Cristiano Ronaldo and blamed the youngster for failing to pass to him. As tensions flared, the Dutch striker asked Cristiano Ronaldo to "go crying to daddy". The Portuguese superstar had lost his father only a few months prior to the incident and his teammate's insensitive comments drove him to tears.
“Did Ruud make Ronaldo cry? Yeah, there were stories because I think they ended up in an argument at the moment when Cristiano’s father had passed away, so it wasn’t the right moment.
The Dutch striker later confirmed that he was referring to Manchester United's assistant manager, Carlos Queiroz. The Portuguese coach took an inexperienced Cristiano Ronaldo under his wing and turned him into a lethal attacking player in the final third.
Louis Saha went on to acknowledge that the ill-timed comments only served to reflect that the passion that the two modern-day legends had for the game.
"Things like that happen when two players have lots of spirit, but I’m sure Ruud regrets some of his words."
Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid after a lengthy spell with Manchester United and established himself as one of football's all-time greats. The Portuguese striker went on to break several records set by Ruud van Nistelrooy himself and has paid tribute to the legendary Dutch striker on several occasions.
Also Read: Cristiano Ronaldo's infamous spat with Wayne Rooney explained
