Premier League changed a lot since Ronaldo’s departure in 2009

Cristiano Ronaldo will return to Old Trafford on Saturday. It will be a big game for him because he will play and score again for Manchester United.

Special moment for Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo has returned to Old Trafford 12 years after playing his last game as a Manchester United player in their 2-0 defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League final on May 27, 2009. As many as 4488 days have passed since his last appearance for the Red Devils, with whom he won three Premier League titles, an FA Cup, two Carabao Cups, a Community Shield, a Champions League, a Club World Cup, a Golden Boot and one Ballon d’Or. Before joining Real Madrid, Ronaldo netted 118 goals and provided 69 assists in 292 games for Manchester United, where Sir Alex Ferguson turned him into a world-class forward.

How Brexit and Manchester City changed the situation

In his last season at Old Trafford, Ronaldo led Manchester United to the Premier League and dominated in both derbies against Manchester City, who began to flourish after the Portuguese star’s departure. The Sky Blues invested big to sign world-class players such as Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne, as they have gone on to lift five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, six Carabao Cups and three Community Shields following Ronaldo’s departure. Meanwhile, a Ronaldo-less Manchester United have won two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, two Carabao Cups, three Community Shields and one Europa League during the same period. Despite the UK no longer belonging to the European Union and teams facing financial issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Premier League clubs continue to flex their financial muscle mainly due to the large sums they earn from TV rights. Lots of things have changed in the Premier League since Ronaldo’s departure and many changes are still on the road.