Cristiano Ronaldo was rebuffed after attempting to wrest control of the Manchester United captaincy from Harry Maguire as the situation at Old Trafford deteriorated last season.
The two senior figures became embroiled in a dressing-room power struggle after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked and Ralf Rangnick appointed as the Norwegian's interim replacement. A string of poor performances from Maguire - who was sent off in Solskjaer's final game in charge, a 4-1 defeat at Watford - led to his place in the starting XI being questioned, let alone his suitability for the armband.
According to ESPN, Ronaldo felt he would be a better fit as skipper, boasting a wealth of experience as a trophy-winning captain for Portugal. However, when the five-time Ballon d'Or winner requested Rangnick strip Maguire of the armband and pass it to him, the Austrian refused.
