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Cristiano Ronaldo's partner Georgina Rodriguez recently shared an image of their son, Matteo, wearing the home kit of Manchester United's rival club, Manchester City, on her Instagram story.
The image featured Ronaldo's daughters, Eva and Alana Martina, with Matteo. Rodriguez captioned the image as "Mis cocineros favoritos," which translates to "My favorite chefs" in English.
The photo is sure to raise a few eyebrows, as Cristiano Ronaldo is widely considered a Manchester United legend. However, this is not the first time his children were spotted sporting jerseys of rival clubs.
Georgina has previously shared images of Matteo wearing a Barcelona kit, despite his father being a legend of the Blaugrana's rival club, Real Madrid.
Cristiano Ronaldo first joined the Red Devils in 2003 but left the club in 2009 to join La Liga giants Real Madrid. However, Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford once again in 2021 after leaving Serie A side Juventus.
At the time of his return, Ronaldo was heavily linked with a move to Manchester City, but former United boss Sir Alex Ferguson reportedly convinced the Portuguese to return to Old Trafford.
Cristiano Ronaldo revealed he was close to joining Man City before returning to Manchester United
In his 2022 interview with journalist Piers Morgan, Cristiano Ronaldo had said that he was very close to joining Manchester City, before returning to Old Trafford in 2021. City were reportedly looking for an attacking signing back then and pushed to bring Ronaldo to Etihad.
Speaking to Morgan, the Portuguese legend said that the deal was "close."
“Honestly, it [moving to City] was close. They spoke a lot and [Manchester boss Pep] Guardiola said two weeks ago that they tried hard to have me," Ronaldo said.
Cristiano Ronaldo further explained why he chose to return to Manchester United over joining Man City, claiming that former United boss Sir Alex Ferguson had a lot to do with his decision.
“But, as you know, my history is in Manchester United. Your heart, you're feeling the way you did before, and it made the difference. And of course, as well, Sir Alex Ferguson. It was a conscious decision because the heart speaks loud in that moment."
Ronaldo said that he made a "conscious decision" against joining City, as Sir Alex told him it was "impossible" for him to join the club.
"I wouldn't say that Manchester City wasn't close. But I think, I did [make] a conscious decision. I don't regret at some point. And as you [Morgan] mentioned before, Sir Alex Ferguson was the key. I spoke with him… He said to me that, 'It's impossible for you to come to Manchester City'. And I said 'OK, Boss,'" Ronaldo said.
Ronaldo made 346 appearances for the Red Devils over both his stints, scoring 145 goals and registering 64 assists. He left Manchester United in the summer of 2023 to join the Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr.
