From Rooney to Benítez: Cristiano Ronaldo’s career controversies revisited

Controversies involving Wayne Rooney, José Mourinho and Rafa Benítez are among the notable episodes of Cristiano Ronaldo’s career. A new clash with his coach, after he left Portugal’s national-team camp, has brought those tensions back into focus. The latest episode featured Jorge Jesus, who defended applying the same rules to every player: “There are players with status, but the rules are the same for everyone.”

At the 2006 World Cup, in the quarter-finals, Ronaldo asked the referee to send off Rooney, his Manchester United teammate, after the Englishman appeared to tread on Ricardo Carvalho. Rooney was subsequently shown a red card. Images of Ronaldo celebrating the decision went around the world and sparked major controversy.

Disagreements with Mourinho had begun before their time at Real Madrid. Once there, they included tactical choices and the defensive work expected of the forward. Years later, Luka Modrić recounted that a heated argument had followed Mourinho’s reproach of Ronaldo for failing to track an opponent during a Copa del Rey match. Their relationship deteriorated most sharply during the 2012-13 season, Mourinho’s final season in his first spell in charge at the Madrid club.

Rafa Benítez also had differences with Ronaldo. At a training session, the player showed his displeasure after the coach disallowed one of his goals. Benítez later denied trying to teach him how to take his shots and publicly described their relationship as “very good”. He even called Ronaldo “the best player in the world”.

Ronaldo’s relationship with coaches also became particularly tense during his second spell at Manchester United. He later publicly criticised the club’s management: “In my opinion, Manchester United need to rebuild everything.” He also challenged the coach’s comments about the team’s chances in the Premier League and the Champions League: “If you’re the Manchester United manager, you can’t say that.”