Cristiano Ronaldo and Sir Alex Ferguson have a great relationship stemming from their time together at Manchester United, but there was one occasion when the Scotsman made the Portuguese superstar cry in front of the whole team.
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The 30-year-old had a tough start to life at Old Trafford and was even brought to tears after one particular defeat against Benfica in 2005 – his first match back on Portuguese soil – when he performed poorly and was accused of playing for himself and not for the team.
Spanish football expert Guillem Balague recalls how Ferguson shouted at the then 20-year-old in the following extract from his new book, Cristiano Ronaldo: The Biography.
"'Who do you think you are? Trying to play by yourself? You'll never be a player if you do this.'
"Ronaldo began to cry. The other players left him be. 'He needed to learn,' said (Rio) Ferdinand. That was a message from the team, not just from Ferguson: everyone thought he needed to learn.
"After the telling-off and a few tears, the Portuguese's reaction was the same as always: keep working in training to improve. Predictably, the group responded by winding him up."
Read: Ronaldo's Mom: Football Saved CR7 From Turning To Drugs
Ronaldo and United didn't make it out of the Champions League group stage that season, but they did win the competition two years later.
Do you think Ferguson was the best possible mentor for a young Ronaldo? Have your say in the comments section below.
