Cristiano Ronaldo has already proven that he is not solely motivated by Champions League football ahead of his potential Europa League debut on Thursday night.
Remarkably, the 37-year-old has never featured in the 'B' competition in Europe in his illustrious career. Ronaldo has enjoyed plenty of success in the Champions League, having lifted the famous trophy five times, four of which came at Real Madrid with his first being with United.
As his career enters its twilight phase, the Portuguese ace was keen to be playing Champions League football this season. This was something the Reds could not offer him having finished outside the top four under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and latterly Ralf Rangnick.
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Having contacted United urging them to accept any 'reasonable offer' for him to leave, Ronaldo soon had to face the reality he would be staying at Old Trafford until January at the earliest. So far he has only started one match, the humiliating defeat to Brentford, and has had to settle with cameo appearances off the bench.
With plenty of fixtures on the horizon between now and the November World Cup, Erik ten Hag may opt to rotate his side allowing Ronaldo a start up front. Those thinking that the 37-year-old may be unhappy to play in the Europa League could be wrong according to former AC Milan chief Massimiliano Mirabelli.
It is claimed that before his reunion at the Theatre of Dreams, Ronaldo was keen on playing in the competition for Milan as far back as 2018. Mirabelli explained that year: "Ronaldo told us: ‘You aren’t in the Champions League, okay, but I have never won the Europa League and so I’ll win that too.’ He was convinced. Some say it was a joke, but we had Ronaldo sealed.
"There was a possibility of getting him, everything is true." That year, Ronaldo would join Serie A rivals Juventus and would continue to play Champions League football.
It would seem that Ronaldo will be motivated to not only play in the Europa League but to help United win the competition so he can add it to his already glimmering career accolades.
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