query: when did cristiano ronaldo sign for manchester united

pos: Cristiano Ronaldo at age 18 in 2003. After winning his first trophy, the FA Cup, during his first season in England, he helped United win three successive Premier League titles, a UEFA Champions League title, and a FIFA Club World Cup. By age 22, he had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations and at age 23, he won his first Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. In 2009, Ronaldo was the subject of the most expensive association football transfer when he moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid in a transfer worth €94

pos: Cristiano Ronaldo win. Over the course of the 2002–03 season, his representatives suggested the player to Liverpool manager Gérard Houllier and Barcelona president Joan Laporta. Manager Arsène Wenger, who was interested in signing the winger, met with him at Arsenal's grounds in November to discuss a possible transfer. Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, however, determined to acquire Ronaldo on a permanent move urgently, after Sporting defeated United 3–1 at the inauguration of the Estádio José Alvalade in August 2003. Initially, United had just planned to sign Ronaldo and then loan him back to Sporting for a year. Having been impressed by him,

pos: Chris Eagles through the youth system at Watford, Eagles left when he was 14 to join the Manchester United academy. The compensation owed to Watford for this move would later form part of the package which took Danny Webber in the opposite direction. Eagles made his first-team debut for Manchester United on 28 October 2003 as a second-half substitute for Kieran Richardson in an extra-time win away to Leeds United in the League Cup. He played once more that season, this time as a substitute for Cristiano Ronaldo as United lost 2–0 away to West Bromwich Albion in the Fourth Round of

pos: Cristiano Ronaldo at age 18 in 2003. After winning his first trophy, the FA Cup, during his first season in England, he helped United win three successive Premier League titles, a UEFA Champions League title, and a FIFA Club World Cup. By age 22, he had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations and at age 23, he won his first Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. In 2009, Ronaldo was the subject of the most expensive association football transfer when he moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid in a transfer worth €94

pos: 2012–13 Manchester United F.C. season champions, Real Madrid, who finished as runners-up in Group D. It was fifth tie between the two famed clubs and the first time they have faced one another since 2003 when Real Madrid won the quarter-final tie 6–5 on aggregate. This also marked the first time United faced Cristiano Ronaldo since selling him to Madrid in 2009 for a record £80 million. In the first tie, United draw 1–1 away from home thanks to a goal by Danny Welbeck. In the second tie, United lost 2–1 at home to Real Madrid after a red card was handed to United player

neg: Cristiano Ronaldo however, the Manchester United players urged Ferguson to sign him. After the game, Ferguson agreed to pay Sporting £12.24 million for what he considered to be "one of the most exciting young players" he had ever seen. A decade after his departure from the club, in April 2013, Sporting honoured Ronaldo by selecting him to become their 100,000th member. Ronaldo became Manchester United's first-ever Portuguese player when he signed before the 2003–04 season. His transfer fee of £12.24 million made him, at the time, the most expensive teenager in English football history. Although he requested the number 28, his number

neg: 2009–10 Manchester United F.C. season and United were knocked out on away goals. United announced early in the transfer window that they had agreed a world record fee of £80 million to sell Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid. Shortly after this, they confirmed that Carlos Tevez, who had been on loan with the club for two seasons, had not taken up the offer of a permanent contract. Tevez would later sign for United's local rivals, Manchester City. Lee Martin, Fraizer Campbell, Richard Eckersley and Manucho also left the club for an undisclosed fee. After the departures of Ronaldo and Tevez, United sought a new striker,

neg: 2007–08 Premier League Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Cesc Fàbregas (Arsenal), Ashley Young (Aston Villa) Attack: Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal), Fernando Torres (Liverpool) The PFA Young Player of the Year award was won by Cesc Fàbregas of Arsenal. The shortlist for the award was as follows: The FWA Footballer of the Year award for 2008 was won by Cristiano Ronaldo for a second successive season. The Manchester United winger saw off the challenges of Liverpool striker Fernando Torres and Portsmouth goalkeeper David James, who finished second and third respectively. Cristiano Ronaldo was named the winner of the Premier League Golden Boot award.

neg: Cristiano Ronaldo describing them as an "intentional defamation campaign" with parts significantly "altered and/or completely fabricated", a claim which "Der Spiegel" categorically refuted. Sporting CP Manchester United Real Madrid Portugal Notes Citations Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Italian club Juventus and captains the Portugal national team. Often considered the best player in the world and regarded by many as one of the greatest players of all time, Ronaldo has a record-tying five Ballon d'Or awards, the most for a European player, and is the

neg: Nani after Cristiano Ronaldo was forced off in the opening 25 minutes of the match following a challenge from Dimitri Payet. During extra-time, substitute Eder scored in the 109th minute to earn Portugal a 1–0 victory. In May 2018 he was named in Portugal’s preliminary 35 man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia but did not make the final 23. In the early stages of his career at Manchester United, Nani's ability and playing style often invited comparisons with club and international teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, however Nani's style developed into more that of a traditional winger than Ronaldo's evolution

neg: 2008–09 Manchester United F.C. season early on in the first half, but the tide began to slowly shift back into United's favour; only the heroics of Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jääskeläinen kept the visitors in the game going into half-time, although Fabrice Muamba did shoot wide from eight yards out just before the whistle. The United breakthrough came 15 minutes into the second half, when referee Rob Styles awarded the home side a penalty, despite Jlloyd Samuel's challenge on Cristiano Ronaldo appearing to have been a fair one; Ronaldo converted the penalty himself. In the 71st minute, Paul Scholes came on for Anderson to make his

neg: Merche Romero Merche Romero Merche Romero Gomes (born 27 November 1976) is a Portuguese model and TV Presenter of Andorran descent. She is best known for once being the girlfriend of footballer Cristiano Ronaldo who was 9 years younger than her. She announced the end of her relationship with him on a Portuguese television show in 2006. She is of Spanish and Portuguese descent. She was born in Andorra and currently lives and works in Portugal. She gained notoriety for being the girlfriend of former Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, 9 years younger than her. Merche was linked to Cristiano Ronaldo. Although

neg: 2006–07 Manchester United F.C. season second a minute after half-time, but then handled Rio Ferdinand's header in the 66th minute. Cristiano Ronaldo converted the subsequent penalty to hand United a replay. The replay against Middlesbrough was played on 19 March. The game was at a 0–0 stalemate until the 76th minute, when Cristiano Ronaldo once again converted from the penalty spot. The penalty was awarded when the winger was chopped down by behind from Jonathan Woodgate. The impressive Mark Schwarzer had twice thwarted Wayne Rooney when the striker had been put clean through with Boro on the back foot throughout. Boro substitute James Morrison was

neg: 2008 UEFA Champions League Final of Park Ji-sung, who did not even make the substitutes bench despite starting both legs of the semi-final. Cristiano Ronaldo started on the left wing, where he was pitted against makeshift Chelsea right-back Michael Essien. This went against the prediction of "The Guardian"s David Pleat, who thought a duel between Ronaldo and Ashley Cole would be key to the final. Ferguson hoped his substitutes might have a big impact on the match, just as Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær did in 1999, when the pair came off the bench to help Manchester United come from behind and beat Bayern

neg: 2004–05 Manchester United F.C. season minutes before Ronaldo scored when Nigel Martyn parried Paul Scholes' free-kick. Marcus Bent missed Everton's best chance when Roy Carroll, who was later struck by a missile, saved at his feet. Manchester United marched into the semi-finals of the FA Cup with a 4–0 away win against Southampton. Roy Keane put holders United on course for victory over Southampton after two minutes, and goals either side of the interval confirmed their supremacy. Cristiano Ronaldo took advantage of good work by Wayne Rooney to score the second in first-half injury time. Paul Scholes added a third from 12 yards in the

neg: Nike Mercurial Vapor 7 April 2008. The carbon fibre Mercurial SL boots were used in a professional match for the first time in the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final between Manchester United and Chelsea, when they were worn by Cristiano Ronaldo. Didier Drogba was also expected to wear them, but instead wore the black Mercurial Vapor IVs. On 7 June 2008, a limited edition brown leather version of the Mercurial Vapors was released to coincide with the start of UEFA Euro 2008. Each boot weighed approximately . A green and white colourway, as worn by Cristiano Ronaldo, was also unveiled on 7 June,

neg: Cristiano Ronaldo violent conduct. Real Madrid also failed to defend their La Liga title, finishing runners up to Barcelona. In the first knockout round of the Champions League, Ronaldo faced his former club Manchester United for the first time. After scoring the equaliser in a 1–1 draw at the Santiago Bernabéu, he scored the match-winning goal in a 2–1 victory at Old Trafford, his first return to his former home ground. He did not celebrate scoring against his former club as a mark of respect. Ronaldo scored three goals in Madrid's 5–3 aggregate victory over Galatasaray to see them advance to the

neg: 2009–10 in English football to 2009–10 Football League Two Teams relegated from 2008–09 Football League Two Notes 1 July: Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo completes his world record £80 million move from Manchester United to Real Madrid. English defender Glen Johnson switches from Portsmouth to Liverpool for £18 million, one of the highest fees ever paid for a defender. English midfielder Gareth Barry ends 11 years at Aston Villa and signs for Manchester City for £12 million. 6 July: Chelsea sign Russian winger Yuri Zhirkov from CSKA Moscow for £18 million. 26 July: An England XI defeats a Germany XI 3–2 at St James' Park,

neg: 2007–08 Manchester United F.C. season Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo (2). United sealed their place in the knockout stage with a 4–0 win in the return game against Dynamo Kyiv, with goals from Carlos Tevez, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, while Gerard Piqué got his first ever senior goal for the club. The team went into the next game against Sporting knowing that a win would secure top spot for them. However, they went 1–0 down after just 21 minutes through an unexpected goal from Abel Ferreira. It took United another 40 minutes to get an equaliser, as Carlos Tevez scored a scrappy goal

neg: 2006–07 Manchester United F.C. season sent-off in injury time for a reckless lunge on Ronaldo. United won the game 1–0 to send them through to the last four. United booked a ticket in the FA Cup Final with a 4–1 win over Watford. Wayne Rooney opened the scoring when he fired home an excellent 20-yard drive after just six minutes, but Watford equalised through Hameur Bouazza's overhead kick in the 26th minute. United restored their lead two minutes later when Cristiano Ronaldo bundled in Rooney's cross, and Rooney wrapped up the win with a close finish after 66 minutes. Substitute Kieran Richardson chipped in a

neg: Cristiano Ronaldo Middlesbrough. Midway through the season, in November, he signed a new contract which extended his previous deal by two years to 2010. Ronaldo won his second trophy in English football, the Football League Cup, after scoring the third goal in United's 4–0 final victory over Wigan Athletic. During his third season in England, Ronaldo was involved in several incidents. He had a one-match ban imposed on him by UEFA for a "one-fingered gesture" towards Benfica fans, and was sent off in the Manchester derby—a 3–1 defeat—for kicking Manchester City's former United player Andy Cole. Ronaldo clashed with a teammate, striker

neg: 2004–05 Manchester United F.C. season home game against Everton. United hit the post three times in the match. Cristiano Ronaldo hit the upright with a fizzing drive, as did Smith with a similar effort, and Paul Scholes also saw a shot come back off the post. But United were lucky not to concede a penalty when Mikaël Silvestre blatantly used his arm to clear the ball from a lurking Duncan Ferguson. In the first half, Louis Saha missed a great chance when he headed wide. It was the only clear-cut opportunity of the opening 45 minutes, with United lacking the cohesion to break down an

neg: 2008–09 Manchester United F.C. season his first-half header went wide of Łukasz Fabiański's post. The Reds had a well-worked Park Ji-sung goal disallowed for an incorrect offside later in the second half. Park had slotted the ball into an empty net after playing a one-two with Cristiano Ronaldo, but Ronaldo was judged to have been ahead of the last defender when Park played the ball through. When the final whistle blew, the United players, manager and backroom staff celebrated jubilantly, having been crowned champions of England for the 18th time. United's final game of the Premier League, played on 24 May, was away to Hull.

neg: Cristiano Ronaldo ovation when he came on as a 60th-minute substitute for Nicky Butt. His performance earned praise from George Best, who hailed it as "undoubtedly the most exciting debut" he had ever seen. Ronaldo scored his first goal for Manchester United with a free-kick in a 3–0 win over Portsmouth on 1 November. Three other league goals followed in the second half of the campaign, the last of which came against Aston Villa on the final day of the season, a match in which he also received his first red card. Ronaldo ended his first season in English football by scoring

neg: 2005–06 Manchester United F.C. season at half-time, and the outstanding Wayne Rooney set up Cristiano Ronaldo to tap home to make it 3–1 and double United's lead. The Portuguese winger wrapped up the win after a mazy run. Rooney received a standing ovation after yet another outstanding display, which meant the rested Ruud van Nistelrooy was hardly missed. United kicked off 2006 in slow fashion with a 0–0 draw away to Arsenal. United defenders Rio Ferdinand and Wes Brown made superb blocks to deny efforts from Thierry Henry and Brazilian Gilberto Silva. Cristiano Ronaldo should have given United the lead just before the break, but

neg: Cristiano Ronaldo documentary narrated by the actor Benedict Cumberbatch, was released via Vimeo in June 2014. A documentary film about his life and career, titled "Ronaldo", was released worldwide on 9 November 2015. Directed by BAFTA-winner Anthony Wonke, the film is produced and distributed by Universal Pictures, while Asif Kapadia is the executive producer. A replica Cristiano Ronaldo jersey has been a much sought after sports product throughout his career. In 2008, Ronaldo's number 7 Manchester United jersey was the best-selling sports product under the auspices of the Premier League. In 2018, within 24 hours of his number 7 Juventus jersey being

neg: 2007–08 Manchester United F.C. season three points with a 3–2 win over Bolton. This meant that the Red Devils would have to win to restore their six-point lead over Arsenal; and win they did, as they put four goals past Martin O'Neill's side. Villa were first to threaten either goal, but it took just 16 minutes for Cristiano Ronaldo to get the opener, back-heeling the ball through Martin Laursen's legs and past Scott Carson in the Villa goal. Ronaldo then turned provider for the second goal on 33 minutes, Carlos Tevez heading home the Portuguese's cross at the back post. The loudest cheers of the

neg: 2008–09 Manchester United F.C. season the penalty area to Nani, who cut back inside and curled a shot past Stephen Bywater for the opening goal. United doubled their lead shortly before half-time, when they were awarded a free kick within the shooting range of Cristiano Ronaldo; the United winger crashed the free kick into the defensive wall, and the ball ricocheted to Darron Gibson – who had broken from the wall – and the Irish international fired a low shot into the bottom corner of the net. The scoring continued after the break, Ronaldo heading home Ryan Giggs' right-sided corner kick three minutes into the

neg: 2007–08 Premier League the names on the back of players' shirts. Sir Alex Ferguson, picked up the Premier League Manager of the Season award for the eighth time. Cristiano Ronaldo won the Premier League Player of the Season accolade for the second season in succession. The PFA Players' Player of the Year award for 2008 was won by Cristiano Ronaldo for the second year in a row. The shortlist for the PFA Players' Player of the Year award, in alphabetical order, was as follows: Goalkeeper: David James (Portsmouth) Defence: Bacary Sagna, Gaël Clichy (both Arsenal), Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidić (both Manchester United) Midfield:

neg: Cristiano Ronaldo Blatter preferred Messi or Ronaldo, Blatter paid tribute to the work ethic of the Argentine before taking a swipe at Ronaldo, claiming "one of them has more expenses for the hairdresser than the other". Real Madrid demanded – and promptly received – a full apology, and the Portuguese issued his own riposte with a mock-salute celebration after scoring a penalty against Sevilla, after Blatter had described him as a "commander" on the pitch. As his reputation grew from his time at Manchester United, Ronaldo has signed many sponsorship deals for consumer products, including sportswear, football boots (since November 2012 Ronaldo

neg: 2005–06 Manchester United F.C. season van Nistelrooy grabbed a hat-trick, with United's other goals being scored by Paul Scholes, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Darren Fletcher. United played one more friendly during the 2005–06 season, the final one being a home fixture against Celtic on 9 May. The game was played as a testimonial for former United captain Roy Keane, who left United as captain in November 2005. Keane played the first half in a Celtic shirt, and switched sides at half-time to play as his former role of United captain. United won 1–0, thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo's 55th-minute goal. Manchester United started their 2005–06 FA Premier

neg: 2006–07 FA Premier League Blackburn Rovers against Charlton Athletic on 21 February 2004. In those two cases, the teams they played for lost. Robinson became the first keeper to score for the winning team in a Premiership match. This season's awards were dominated by Manchester United, who, as a team, picked up a total of eight individual awards, five of which went to Cristiano Ronaldo. They also had eight players in the Team of the Year. The PFA Players' Player of the Year award for 2007 was won by Cristiano Ronaldo. He had won the PFA Young Player of the Year award earlier on

neg: 2005–06 Manchester United F.C. season quick goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Louis Saha set up an easy win. Ronaldo scored from the spot in the 12th minute after he was fouled by Diomansy Kamara, and Giuseppe Rossi set up Saha four minutes later. John O'Shea added a fine third after 56 minutes before Nathan Ellington pulled a goal back for West Brom late on. The draw for the fifth round of the League Cup took place on 3 December 2005, and Manchester United were given an away fixture with fellow Premier League side Birmingham City. The match was played on 20 December, and United won

neg: Arkadiusz Milik Milik began dating professional Polish model Jessica Ziółek. Milik features on the cover of the Polish version of "FIFA 16" alongside global cover star Lionel Messi. Milik is a devoted fan of Manchester United. Milik says he "dreams of playing for Manchester United", but insists he's "far from it". Milik's childhood football hero is Cristiano Ronaldo; in an interview during Euro 2016, he said he followed Ronaldo closely and had been inspired by the Portuguese striker. Arkadiusz Milik Arkadiusz Krystian "Arek" Milik (; born 28 February 1994) is a Polish footballer who plays as a striker for Italian club Napoli

neg: 2008–09 Manchester United F.C. season header was ruled out after the referee deemed Cristiano Ronaldo to have impeded Ryan Nelsen. Nelsen himself almost gave Blackburn the lead shortly after the break, but his effort came back off the post, and the follow-up strike from El Hadji Diouf was saved by Kuszczak. In the end, though, it was United who regained the lead in the 60th minute; the Red Devils were awarded a free kick wide to the left of the penalty area, and, as usual, Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up to take it. Despite it looking like the angle was too narrow to strike at goal,

neg: Ramón Calderón and Calderón have been criticised by Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson for what he called their immoral actions relating to their desire to sign Cristiano Ronaldo. He also prevented Robinho moving to Chelsea in the summer of 2008 saying he would rather sell to a club not in the Champions League. Ramón Calderón José Ramón Calderón Ramos (born 26 May 1951) is a lawyer and an ex-President of Spanish sports club Real Madrid. Calderón was elected President of Real Madrid on 2 July 2006, winning the elections with 8,344 votes whilst Juan Palacios was second with 8,098. After discussions

neg: Progression of the British football transfer fee record in 2001 was £38m. On 1 September 2008, Manchester City agreed a reported £32,500,000 fee for Robinho, which remained the record amount paid by a British club until 31 January 2011, when Liverpool paid £35,000,000 for Andy Carroll from Newcastle United, which was also a new record amount paid for a British player. A few hours later, the record amount paid by a British club was broken again when Chelsea paid £50,000,000 for Fernando Torres from Liverpool. On 11 June 2009, Manchester United announced that they had accepted an £80,000,000 bid from Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo. The transfer was

neg: 2007–08 Manchester United F.C. season the last two minutes, Ronaldo scored his third for his first ever Manchester United hat-trick, and Tevez made it six in injury time. Newcastle's captain, former Red Alan Smith, earned himself a red card for his protests following the sixth goal. Wayne Rooney got himself on the scoresheet for the first time in three Premier League games the following weekend, scoring the opener in a 2–0 win over Reading. After a goalless first half, Rooney opened the scoring in the 77th minute, before Cristiano Ronaldo notched up his 23rd goal of the season to equal his tally for the previous

neg: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 into playable teams from the start instead of having to play through Master League to purchase them or alternatively edit the existing non-generic teams. This feature does not appear in the Wii version of the game. Portugal and (at the time) Manchester United player Cristiano Ronaldo is included on all "PES 2008" covers, along with Michael Owen in the UK, Gianluigi Buffon in Italy, Lucas Neill in Australia, and Didier Drogba in France. Also in Japanese version, the cover art only Cristiano Ronaldo himself. Jon Champion and Mark Lawrenson provide the English commentary for the first time, replacing long-time commentary

neg: 2004–05 Manchester United F.C. season side's goal early on but Pompey survived and hit back after the break. David Unsworth put them ahead from the spot after Rio Ferdinand tugged back Ricardo Fuller in the area. Cristiano Ronaldo hit the post with a header as United piled on the pressure but Yakubu finished them off when his shot deflected in off Mikaël Silvestre. It was Pompey's second successive Premiership victory over United at Fratton Park - but it looked unlikely in the early stages. Manchester United played at home to their rivals Manchester City on 7 November 2004. The game ended 0–0. United were shut

neg: History of Real Madrid C.F. June, Florentino Pérez was officially announced as Real Madrid's new president. His first move was to sign Brazilian superstar Kaká from Milan for an undisclosed fee, though believed to be £56 million (€68M). On 11 June 2009, Real Madrid officially announced on their website that an £80 million (€94M) offer for Portuguese Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo had been accepted by his club, Manchester United, after the player had expressed his desire to leave the club for "Los Merengues". On 25 June, Raúl Albiol joined Real Madrid from Valencia on a fee thought to be in the region of €15

neg: Transfer (association football) Luís Figo made a controversial £37 million move from Barcelona to fierce rivals Real Madrid. From that time through the 2015–16 season, Real Madrid held the record, with the next players to subsequently break the record being Zinedine Zidane in 2001 when he signed for £46 million from Juventus, Kaká from Milan for just under £60 million in 2009, and £80 million transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United in the same year, lastly being Gareth Bale in 2013, who became the first player to cost €100 million when he transferred from Tottenham Hotspur. Manchester United claimed the record in

neg: Cristiano Ronaldo other sometimes in the competition, this is why the competition is so high", while Ronaldo's manager during his time at Manchester United, Alex Ferguson, opined that "I don't think the rivalry against each other bothers them. I think they have their own personal pride in terms of wanting to be the best". Messi himself denied any rivalry, saying that it was "only the media, the press, who wants us to be at loggerheads but I've never fought with Cristiano". Responding to the claims that he and Messi do not get on well on a personal level, Ronaldo commented, "We don't

neg: Cristiano Ronaldo Diego Maradona at Napoli. Since club captain Raúl already wore the number 7, the number Ronaldo wore at Manchester United, Ronaldo received the number 9 shirt, which was presented to him by former Madrid player Alfredo Di Stéfano. Ronaldo made his debut in La Liga on 29 August 2009, against Deportivo La Coruña, and scored from the penalty spot in Madrid's 3–2 home win. He scored in each of his first four league fixtures with the club, the first Madrid player to do so. His first Champions League goals for the club followed with two free kicks in the first

neg: Alex Ferguson players. The party was spoiled the following day when United endured a single-goal defeat at the hands of Southend United in the fourth round of the League Cup. On 1 December, however, it was announced that Manchester United had signed 35-year-old Henrik Larsson on loan, a player that Ferguson had admired for many years, and attempted to capture previously. On 23 December 2006, Cristiano Ronaldo scored the club's 2,000th goal under the helm of Ferguson in a match against Aston Villa. Manchester United subsequently won their ninth Premier League title but were denied a unique fourth double by Chelsea's Didier

neg: 2006–07 Manchester United F.C. season and Chris Eagles sealed the win. The result means United moved two points further away from Chelsea, who were held by Bolton 2-2, with three games to play. Manchester United moved to within touching distance of the Premiership title after Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty gave them victory at Manchester City in United's first match in May. Ronaldo scored in the 34th minute after he was fouled by Michael Ball, who had earlier stamped viciously on him. City wasted their best chance when goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar saved Darius Vassell's penalty 11 minutes from time after Wes Brown fouled Ball. The

neg: Battle of Old Trafford physical midfield. Wenger's tactics worked, as the Arsenal defence withstood the pressure from the Manchester United attack. United themselves were without Paul Scholes due to injury, and they played a 4–3–2–1 formation with Phil Neville, Roy Keane and Quinton Fortune completing a defensively minded midfield. When Cristiano Ronaldo was fouled on the right wing 40 yards from goal in the 13th minute, Ryan Giggs was presented with the first chance of the match; although intended as a cross, Giggs' free-kick hit the outside of the post. Another foul on Ronaldo gave Giggs another chance to apply pressure with a crossed

neg: 2007–08 Manchester United F.C. season in the opening exchanges of the game. United goalkeeper Ben Foster, making his debut due to the unavailability of Van der Sar and Tomasz Kuszczak, then staked his claim to the number 1 jersey with a pair of fine saves from Derby striker Kenny Miller. Cristiano Ronaldo proved to be the thorn in Derby's side on a number of occasions, testing former Manchester United goalkeeper Roy Carroll with a curling effort hit with the outside of his foot and a 40-yard free kick. The breakthrough finally came in the 76th minute, Ronaldo scoring a deserved goal from a Wayne Rooney

neg: History of the Portugal national football team England, but won 3–1 on penalties to reach their first World Cup semi-final since 1966. Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winning penalty. The game was marred by a violent challenge on Portuguese defender Ricardo Carvalho by England's Wayne Rooney, which resulted in him being sent off. Cristiano Ronaldo was accused by England fans to have influenced the referee's decision to send Rooney off despite the two of them being teammates at Manchester United. Portugal lost 1–0 against France in the semi-finals on 5 July at Munich. Two players had been forced to sit out due to accumulated bookings from the round

neg: Louis Saha national team after a year out. Against Arsenal, Saha came on to replace the under-performing Carlos Tevez in a 2–2 draw. He was key in setting up a goal as Cristiano Ronaldo gave United a 2–1 lead. Saha continued to make appearances off the bench, but when Wayne Rooney was ruled out for a few weeks he partnered Tevez up front. He started on 26 December, Boxing Day. Manchester United won the game 4–0 and Saha scored two goals including a penalty to lift Manchester United to 1st position in the Premiership. Saha made his return in an FA Cup

neg: 2007–08 Manchester United F.C. season A last-minute equaliser by Bolton against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge ensured that United's championship did not have to be decided by goal difference, and it left the Red Devils as the champions of England for the 17th time, just one short of Liverpool's record of 18 titles. The draw for the Third Round of the 2007–08 FA Cup paired United with Aston Villa for the fourth time in seven years. The match was played at Villa Park on 5 January 2008, United winning 2–0 with goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney. United were given a home draw against Tottenham

neg: History of Manchester United F.C. (1986–2013) behind leaders Arsenal at the beginning of March, when they also lost the League Cup final to Liverpool. Soon afterwards, David Beckham was sold to Real Madrid for £25 million, following arguments with Ferguson. Before the start of the season, a highly rated 18-year-old Portuguese winger called Cristiano Ronaldo arrived from Sporting CP for £12.24 million. All eyes that summer, however, were on a Chelsea side who had been taken over by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and had spent more than £100 million on new players. In the 2003–04 season, Manchester United won the FA Cup for the 11th time

neg: United Trinity team together between 1992 and 2011 and Cristiano Ronaldo–Wayne Rooney–Carlos Tevez, who played together at United when the team won the Premier League and reached the UEFA Champions League Final in two successive seasons between 2007 and 2009. The Trinity featured in the design of Manchester United's 2017–18 third shirt. United Trinity In association football, the United Trinity or the Holy Trinity refers to the Manchester United trio of George Best, Denis Law, and Sir Bobby Charlton, who helped United become the first ever English club team to win the European Cup in 1968. Charlton was a member of the

neg: Cristiano Ronaldo A prolific goalscorer, Ronaldo holds the records for most official goals scored in Europe's top-five leagues (405), the UEFA Champions League (121), the UEFA European Championship (9), as well as those for most assists in the UEFA Champions League (34) and the UEFA European Championship (6). He has scored over 680 senior career goals for club and country. Born and raised on the Portuguese island of Madeira, Ronaldo was diagnosed with a racing heart at age 15. He underwent an operation to treat his condition, and began his senior club career playing for Sporting CP, before signing with Manchester United

neg: History of football in England Football League due to a 30-point deduction for financial irregularities which rooted them to the bottom of League Two; without it they would have finished mid table and comfortably avoided a rare third successive relegation. Manchester United became the receipts of the world's biggest transfer fee during the 2009 close season when they sold Cristiano Ronaldo, widely regarded as one of the best football players in the world, to Real Madrid of Spain for £80million. Star players rising to prominence this era have included Wayne Rooney (Everton, Manchester United and England), Thierry Henry (Arsenal and France), Frank Lampard (Chelsea and

neg: 2006–07 FA Premier League of the two preceding seasons, but didn't even feature in the top three for the 2006–07 season. The shortlist for the award was as follows: Goalkeeper: Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United) Defence: Gary Neville, Patrice Evra, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidić (all Manchester United) Midfield: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo (all Manchester United) Attack: Didier Drogba (Chelsea), Dimitar Berbatov (Tottenham Hotspur) The PFA Merit Award was awarded to Sir Alex Ferguson, manager of Manchester United, for his commitment to the club, the Premiership, and as recognition of the nineteen major trophies he has won in his

neg: 2008–09 Premier League one Club World Cup. Nemanja Vidić, 27, won the Premier League Player of the Season accolade for the first time. The PFA Players' Player of the Year award for 2009 was won by Ryan Giggs of Manchester United. The shortlist for the PFA Players' Player of the Year award was as follows: Goalkeeper: Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United)Defence: Glen Johnson (Portsmouth), Patrice Evra, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidić (all Manchester United)Midfield: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs (both Manchester United), Ashley Young (Aston Villa)Attack: Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea), Fernando Torres (Liverpool) The PFA Young Player of the Year award was

neg: Cristiano Ronaldo latter award. In the knockout stage of the Champions League, Ronaldo scored the decisive goal against Lyon, which helped United advance to the quarter-finals 2–1 on aggregate, and, while playing as a striker, scored with a header in the 3–0 aggregate victory over Roma. United advanced to the final against Chelsea in Moscow, where, despite his opening goal being negated by an equaliser and his penalty being saved in the shoot-out, Manchester United emerged victorious. As the Champions League top scorer, Ronaldo was named the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year. He additionally received the PFA Players' Player of the

neg: Cristiano Ronaldo in all competitions, 16 goals fewer than the previous season, in four more appearances. His final ever goal for Manchester United came on 10 May 2009 with a free kick in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford. Ahead of the 2009–10 season, Ronaldo joined Real Madrid for a world record transfer fee at the time, of £80 million (€94 million). His contract, which ran until 2015, was worth €11 million per year and contained a €1 billion buy-out clause. At least 80,000 fans attended his presentation at the Santiago Bernabéu, surpassing the 25-year record of 75,000 fans who had welcomed

neg: European Golden Shoe Ally McCoist (1991–92, 1992–93), Thierry Henry (2003–04, 2004–05), Lionel Messi (2011–12, 2012–13 and 2016–17, 2017–18), and Cristiano Ronaldo (2013–14, 2014–15) have won the award in consecutive years. Diego Forlán (Villarreal, Atlético Madrid), Luis Suárez (Liverpool, Barcelona), Mário Jardel (Porto, Sporting CP) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, Real Madrid) are the only players to have won the award with two clubs. European Golden Shoe The European Golden Shoe or Golden Boot is an award that is presented each season to the leading goalscorer in league matches from the top division of every European national league. The trophy is a sculpture of

neg: 2008–09 Wigan Athletic F.C. season work permit application to allow Colombian international Hugo Rodallega to join Wigan from Mexican side Club Necaxa. On 14 January, Wigan travelled to Old Trafford to face reigning champions Manchester United in a rescheduled game. Wigan were caught cold in the opening minute of the game when Cristiano Ronaldo broke away down the right flank and crossed for Wayne Rooney to score. Despite heavy pressure from Manchester United in the first half, Wigan's defence remained strong and the second half saw Wigan dominate the champions and have a penalty claim harshly denied by referee Steve Bennett, but Wigan could not

neg: 2000s (decade) Grand Prix for providing "misleading evidence" during the stewards' hearing. He later privately apologised to FIA race director Charlie Whiting for having lied to the stewards. In 2009, the World football transfer record was set by Spanish football club Real Madrid when it purchased Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo for £80 million (€93 million). Manchester United veteran Sir Bobby Charlton said the world-record offer shocked him: Steroids also spread the sports world throughout the decade, mainly used in Major League Baseball. Players involved included Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Alex Rodriguez. The following articles contain brief timelines which list

neg: Cristiano Ronaldo scored a total of 42 goals in all competitions during the 2007–08 season, his most prolific campaign during his time in England. He missed three matches after headbutting a Portsmouth player at the start of the season, an experience he said taught him not to let opponents provoke him. At the end of 2007, Ronaldo was named runner-up to Kaká for the Ballon d'Or, and came third, behind Kaká and Lionel Messi, in the running for the FIFA World Player of the Year award. Ronaldo scored his first and only hat-trick for Manchester United in a 6–0 win against Newcastle

neg: 2008–09 Manchester United F.C. season did end up going United's way, however, as Giggs picked out Nemanja Vidić from a corner kick for the Serbian to head into the back of the net. United then went 2–0 up on the stroke of half-time, Giggs delivering another right-sided corner, this time for Cristiano Ronaldo to nod in. Darren Fletcher and Wayne Rooney were introduced in place of Paul Scholes and Carlos Tevez halfway through the second half. However, Gamba pulled a goal back almost immediately in the 74th minute, only for Rooney to restore United's two-goal lead a minute later. Fletcher then made it 4–1 in

neg: Cristiano Ronaldo in the box, and score from few opportunities. Ronaldo is widely regarded as one of the two best players of his generation, alongside Lionel Messi. Ronaldo quickly established himself among the world's best players in his early 20s, featuring as the core component for Manchester United in the mid-to-late 2000s. However, after winning his first Ballon d'Or by a record-high vote count at age 23, the public debate regarding his qualities as a player moved beyond his status in contemporary football to the possibility that he was one of the greatest players in history. Universally acclaimed for his prolific and

neg: Ronaldo (film) of friends, family and team-mates. The film was shot in Madeira, Ronaldo's birthplace, Lisbon, where he began his professional career with Sporting CP, and Madrid, where he was residing when he played for Real Madrid. Ronaldo himself announced the film's production on Twitter on 9 June 2015, posting a picture of his son, Cristiano Jr., behind a camera along with the announcement. "Ronaldo" documents the life of Cristiano Ronaldo (born Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro; 5 February 1985), from his childhood until 2015, through a series of interviews with Ronaldo himself as well as friends and family. Parts of the

neg: Cristiano Ronaldo only the third player to receive consecutive honours. At the quarter-final stage of the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League, Ronaldo scored his first-ever goals in the competition, finding the net twice in a 7–1 victory over Roma. He subsequently scored four minutes into the first semi-final leg against Milan, which ended in a 3–2 win, but was marked out of the second leg as United lost 3–0 at the San Siro. He also helped United reach the FA Cup final, but the decisive match against Chelsea ended in a 1–0 defeat. Ronaldo scored the only goal in the Manchester derby on

neg: Manchester derby Benjani scored for City in the 24th and 45th minutes respectively, and Michael Carrick scored a consolation goal for United in the 90th minute. It was the first time since April 1974 that City had beaten United in the league at Old Trafford and the first time they had won both league derby games since the 1969–70 season. United prevented City from winning a third consecutive derby match in the first derby of the 2008–09 season, Wayne Rooney scoring the game's only goal. Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off in the same game for a bizarre handball. Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez

neg: 2005–06 Manchester United F.C. season United then travelled to Japan to face Kashima Antlers, a game in which they lost 2–1. Masashi Motoyama opened the scoring when he controlled a cross-field pass with his first touch and with his second lashed a superb volley over 'keeper Tim Howard into the far corner. United responded when Louis Saha threaded a pass to Cristiano Ronaldo who darted into the area before rolling the ball across the face of goal for Ryan Giggs to tap in. However, before half-time, Antlers restored their lead when Mitsuo Ogasawara's canny flicked pass gave Motoyama the space to fire in a powerful

neg: History of Manchester United F.C. (1986–2013) by Liverpool) – following a 0–0 draw at home to Arsenal. This was the second time the club had won three consecutive Premier League titles, but Manchester United was beaten 2–0 by Barcelona in the Champions League final in Rome on 27 May. In the following summer transfer window, Cristiano Ronaldo was sold to Real Madrid for a world record £80 million and Carlos Tevez joined local rivals Manchester City, after his loan spell came to an end. On 28 February 2010, Manchester United defeated Aston Villa 2–1 at Wembley Stadium to retain the League Cup, the first time the

neg: 2008–09 Manchester United F.C. season almost the last kick of the half as Carson failed to hang on to a Ryan Giggs free kick, dropping the ball at the feet of Carlos Tevez, who lashed it home with his left foot. Nemanja Vidić added a third on the hour mark with a header from Giggs' corner, before Giggs set up another for Cristiano Ronaldo five minutes later. Ronaldo completed the scoring in the 73rd minute, shooting through Carson's legs after being put through by Berbatov, despite the West Brom players' protests that both Berbatov and Ronaldo had been offside during the build-up to the goal.

neg: 2007–08 Manchester United F.C. season Koumas shot appeared to deflect off Rio Ferdinand's outstretched upper arm. Wigan's anguish was then compounded when referee Steve Bennett awarded United a penalty for Emmerson Boyce's foul on Wayne Rooney. Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up to take the penalty, which he converted, equalling Alan Shearer's record for the most goals in a 38-game season with 31 goals. Soon after, Scholes was fortunate not to be sent off when he cynically brought down Wilson Palacios. Steve Bennett chose to keep his cards in his pocket. In the second half, United continued to test the Wigan goal, but goalkeeper Chris Kirkland was

neg: 2006–07 Manchester United F.C. season to a Premiership campaign came to an end, however, with the visit of Arsenal to Old Trafford. The Red Devils survived an early scare when new goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak saved a penalty he had given away when he brought down Emmanuel Adebayor, but Adebayor made amends for Gilberto's missed spot-kick by scoring the winning goal four minutes from time, and knocking United from the Premiership top spot for the first time in the season. This minor slump in form continued against Reading the following weekend, United requiring a 73rd-minute equaliser from Cristiano Ronaldo to salvage a 1–1 draw. However, the

neg: 2007–08 Manchester United F.C. season 3–2. In August, League champions United contested the Community Shield against Chelsea, the winners of the previous season's FA Cup. The game finished 1–1 after 90 minutes, United winning the game on penalties. Manchester United started the season by drawing their opening two games against Reading and Portsmouth. United lost Wayne Rooney to a foot injury picked up against Reading and Cristiano Ronaldo to suspension after he was sent off for appearing to headbutt Portsmouth's Richard Hughes. A derby defeat to Manchester City saw the club slip into 17th place in the table. Results elsewhere pushed them into the relegation

neg: 2006 Football League Cup Final for the journeyman player, who started his career with the Red Devils. Source: ESPN 2006 Football League Cup Final The 2006 Football League Cup Final was played between Manchester United and Wigan Athletic on 26 February 2006. Manchester United won the match comfortably, by four goals to nil. Louis Saha and Cristiano Ronaldo both scored one goal, and Wayne Rooney scored twice. For the trophy presentation, the Manchester United players wore special shirts reading "For You Smudge", referring to Alan Smith, who had broken his left leg during a recent FA Cup match against Liverpool. Wigan goalkeeper Mike Pollitt picked

neg: 2007–08 Manchester United F.C. season to play Bolton Wanderers, who beat them 1–0 with an early Nicolas Anelka goal. United returned to winning ways immediately, winning their next five games, including one against arch-rivals Liverpool at Anfield, in which Carlos Tevez scored the only goal for a 1–0 win. United then completed a double over Merseyside teams in consecutive weeks with a 2–1 victory over Everton, both goals scored by Cristiano Ronaldo, before completing a double over Sunderland in the Boxing Day fixture, winning 4–0. The Sunderland game saw Ronaldo score his ninth goal in his last seven Premier League appearances, to extend his lead

neg: History of Manchester United F.C. (1986–2013) summer, Cristiano Ronaldo was sold to Real Madrid for a world record £80 million. In 2010, Manchester United defeated Aston Villa 2–1 at Wembley to retain the League Cup, their first successful defence of a knockout cup competition. Alex Ferguson joined Manchester United from Aberdeen on 6 November 1986, the same day that previous manager Ron Atkinson was dismissed, and immediately set about rebuilding the club's youth system. In Ferguson's first game in charge, the team lost 2–0 to Oxford United; his first victory came on 22 November 1986, a 1–0 defeat of Queens Park Rangers at Old Trafford. Over

neg: 2006 Football League Cup Final 2006 Football League Cup Final The 2006 Football League Cup Final was played between Manchester United and Wigan Athletic on 26 February 2006. Manchester United won the match comfortably, by four goals to nil. Louis Saha and Cristiano Ronaldo both scored one goal, and Wayne Rooney scored twice. For the trophy presentation, the Manchester United players wore special shirts reading "For You Smudge", referring to Alan Smith, who had broken his left leg during a recent FA Cup match against Liverpool. Wigan goalkeeper Mike Pollitt picked up a hamstring injury after just 14 minutes, cutting short a dream cup final

neg: 2006–07 Manchester United F.C. season to Portsmouth at Fratton Park. Matt Taylor gave Pompey the lead after Edwin van der Sar could only parry Benjani's shot. United pushed forward but David James denied Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs before Rio Ferdinand put Taylor's pass into his own net to put Pompey 2-0 up. John O'Shea replied with a goal from close range, but James denied United a last-gasp equaliser after saving from Alan Smith. United opened a six-point advantage over rivals Chelsea with a comfortable home win against Sheffield United. Michael Carrick gave United the lead after four minutes, lifting Cristiano Ronaldo's pass over the

neg: 2008 UEFA Champions League Final hence the easternmost final in the tournament's history. It also marked the 100th anniversary of Manchester United's first league triumph, the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster, and the 40th anniversary of United's first European Cup triumph in 1968. It was Manchester United's third European Cup final after 1968 and 1999, while it was Chelsea's first. Manchester United won the match 6–5 on penalties, after a 1–1 draw following extra time. Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring for Manchester United in the 26th minute with a header from a cross by Wes Brown, but Frank Lampard equalised shortly before half-time.

neg: 2008–09 Manchester United F.C. season the hot topic before the game, it was the United attack that did most of the talking during the first half. Cristiano Ronaldo tested Inter goalkeeper Júlio César with a free kick before forcing the Brazilian into a save from a powerful header in the opening few minutes. United continued to press throughout the half, and Ryan Giggs nearly opened the scoring midway through, but he could only hit the ball straight at Júlio César after a sublime turn away from Nelson Rivas. Inter themselves went close shortly before half-time, but Adriano was unable to beat Edwin van der Sar

neg: Cristiano Ronaldo 5 May 2007—his 50th goal for the club—as Manchester United claimed their first Premier League title in four years. As a result of his performances, he amassed a host of personal awards for the season. He won the Professional Footballers' Association's Player's Player, Fans' Player, and Young Player of the Year awards, as well as the Football Writers' Association's Footballer of the Year award, becoming the first player to win all four main PFA and FWA honours. His club wages were concurrently upgraded to £120,000 a week (£31 million total) as part of a five-year contract extension with United. Ronaldo

neg: 2007–08 Manchester United F.C. season cross. With Arsenal only managing a draw against ten-man Middlesbrough in the day's late kick-off, United's win put them on top of the table on goal difference with a game in hand. That game in hand was played four days later, with United playing host to Bolton Wanderers on 19 March. Man Utd started the game at their usual fast pace, and it took just nine minutes for Cristiano Ronaldo, the team's captain for the day, to find the back of the net after Carlos Tevez's poorly hit bicycle kick was saved. That goal brought Ronaldo level with George Best's

neg: 2004–05 Manchester United F.C. season the perfect start he may have expected. This result left United in 11th place. On 20 September, United moved up three places in the FA Premier League table to 8th after a 2–1 home win against their rivals, Liverpool. After Cristiano Ronaldo hit the post early on, Mikaël Silvestre gave United the lead, ghosting in at the far post to head home Ryan Giggs' free kick. Liverpool drew level soon after the break when Steve Finnan's header was inadvertently turned in by fellow Irishman John O'Shea. But another header from Silvestre secured three points for United, as the Frenchman powered

neg: 2007–08 Manchester United F.C. season at the top of the Premier League scoring table, while United welcomed Park Ji-sung back to the team following a nine-month lay-off with cruciate ligament damage. With Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick unavailable due to a viral infection, Carlos Tevez was given the opportunity to start the game on his return to his old club, West Ham United, on 29 December. United took the lead on 14 minutes thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo header. Ronaldo had a chance to double the lead with a penalty in the 66th minute, but he blasted the free shot wide of the goal. West

neg: 2005–06 Manchester United F.C. season Wigan opened the scoring after an hour through Paul Scharner's tap-in. United equalised when shock substitute Ruud van Nistelrooy's mis-hit shot set up teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. Then at the death, Louis Saha's deflected shot hit the bar and ricocheted into the net off Pascal Chimbonda. United's next game was a home game against Newcastle United. Wayne Rooney scored a brace as United won 2–0. Rooney's first goal came when he intercepted Peter Ramage's backpass to delicately chip over a helpless Shay Given in the eighth minute. Four minutes later he held off Ramage to slot home from John O'Shea's pass.

neg: Rodrigo Possebon 2008, scoring in the Manchester United Reserves' 3–0 win over Manchester City. Possebon made his FA Cup debut on 13 February 2009, coming on as a 72nd-minute substitute for Cristiano Ronaldo in a Fifth Round fixture with Derby County. On 1 March 2009, Possebon won his second trophy in English football after he was part of the Manchester United squad that beat Tottenham Hotspur 4–1 on penalties after the 2009 League Cup final finished goalless. He had previously been part of the team that captured the 2008 FA Community Shield. Possebon joined Braga on loan, initially for the entire duration

neg: Cristiano Ronaldo were eliminated following a 2–1 defeat to Uruguay in the last 16. A versatile attacker, Ronaldo is capable of playing on either wing as well as through the centre of the pitch, and, while ostensibly right-footed, is very strong with both feet. He ranks among the world's fastest footballers, both with and without the ball. Tactically, Ronaldo has undergone several evolutions throughout his career. While at Sporting and during his first season at Manchester United, he was typically deployed as a traditional winger on the right side of midfield, where he regularly looked to deliver crosses into the penalty area.

neg: Transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid C.F. to Juventus F.C. idea of obtaining Ronaldo came from sporting director Fabio Paratici, as per Pavel Nedvěd. Pérez would comment on the situation on 21 September, stating: "Nobody [was willing to] give more than €100 million. He wanted to go and the most [we could obtain would] be that amount. We have not had many more offers." Moreover, Manchester United manager José Mourinho argued at a press conference in early September that Ronaldo was "never on [his] table to say 'yes' or 'no'" to, while Massimiliano Mirabelli and Marco Fassone, Milan's former director of football and former managing director respectively, admitted in November

neg: 2006–07 Manchester United F.C. season unleashed a shot from outside the edge of the box that rocketed past Adam Federici into the net to give United a first-half lead. Cristiano Ronaldo had three shots on goal in the opening minutes of the second half, but all of them went wide. Brynjar Gunnarsson scored against the run of play in the 67th minute to equalise for Reading, when he powered a header past Tomasz Kuszczak. Coppell's side managed to hold United to a draw and salvage a replay. The replay against Reading was played on 27 February. Three goals in the first six minutes gave United

neg: 2008–09 Manchester United F.C. season to press at the Celtic back line, but a combination of misplaced final balls and staunch defending by the Scots kept the Reds (who were playing in blue) off the scoresheet. Dimitar Berbatov and Wayne Rooney entered the game during the second half, but when United finally got their equaliser, it was neither the Bulgarian nor the Englishman who scored it. Cristiano Ronaldo hit a swerving shot from 25 yards, but it was too hot for goalkeeper Artur Boruc to handle and Ryan Giggs was on hand to head in from close range. Berbatov almost won the game for United

neg: 2005–06 Manchester United F.C. season hopes. Trevor Sinclair put City ahead with a neat turn and shot after Joey Barton's cross was not properly cleared, and a cool Darius Vassell finish made it 2–0. United responded well but City's cause was helped when Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off for a wild lunge at former Red Andy Cole. Ruud van Nistelrooy pulled a goal back, but Robbie Fowler's clinical late strike wrapped up victory for City. United recorded their first win of 2006 with a 1–0 victory over their rivals, Liverpool. The game was decided by a Rio Ferdinand header in the final minute. Ferdinand leapt

neg: 2005–06 Manchester United F.C. season hit a post with a first-half free-kick, while Scholes' volley was well saved by keeper Tony Sylva. For their second game against Lille, Manchester United travelled to France to face "Les Dogues" on 2 November 2005. United lost 1–0, leaving their hopes of reaching the knockout stage in balance. Former Spurs star Milenko Ačimovič scored from close range after 37 minutes as United failed to respond to their thrashing at Middlesbrough. Cristiano Ronaldo came closest for United with a second-half header that hit the bar, while substitute Park Ji-sung also wasted a great chance. But Lille survived in comfort to

neg: 2005–06 Manchester United F.C. season three goals in seven minutes to ensure United ended the season with a trophy. As a result of finishing third in the 2004–05 FA Premier League, Manchester United entered the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League in the third qualifying round, where they were paired with Hungarian champions Debrecen. The first leg was played on 9 August 2005 at Old Trafford, and United won 3–0. Wayne Rooney fired home a shot on the seven minutes to give United the lead, and then set up second-half goals for Ruud van Nistelrooy and Cristiano Ronaldo, who both finished in style. For the return leg

neg: Nani due to injury. Nani was a regular member of the Portuguese squad in Euro 2008 qualification, and scored one of the goals in the 2–1 away win over Belgium on 2 June 2007. Nani received a call-up to Luiz Felipe Scolari's 23-man squad for Euro 2008 alongside Manchester United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. During the campaign, Nani played three matches and started just one, but did provide the assist for Hélder Postiga's goal during a substitute appearance in the 3–2 quarter-final defeat to Germany on 19 June. Nani's fourth international goal came in Portugal's final friendly match before their World Cup

neg: Wayne Rooney front of the Argentine referee Horacio Elizondo. Portugal winger (and Rooney's Manchester United teammate) Cristiano Ronaldo protested his actions, and was in turn pushed by Rooney. Elizondo sent Rooney off, after which Ronaldo was seen winking at the Portugal bench. Rooney denied intentionally targeting Carvalho in a statement on 3 July, adding, Elizondo confirmed the next day that Rooney was dismissed solely for the infraction on Carvalho. Rooney was fined CHF5,000 for the incident. Rooney top scored for England in their 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign with nine goals; one behind the UEFA section's overall top goalscorer, Theofanis Gekas of

neg: Lionel Messi City 4–0. On 1 November, Messi scored his 54th Champions League group stage goal in Barcelona's 3–1 away loss to Manchester City, surpassing the previous record of 53 goals held by Raúl. On 12 November, Messi placed second in the 2016 Ballon d'Or behind Cristiano Ronaldo, who claimed the award for the fourth time. He finished the year with 51 goals, making him Europe's top scorer, one ahead of Zlatan Ibrahimović. After placing second in the 2016 Ballon d'Or, on 9 January 2017 Messi also finished in second place – behind Cristiano Ronaldo once again – in the 2016 Best

neg: 2008–09 Manchester United F.C. season 1–0, with the second leg at the Emirates Stadium six days later. United were 3–0 up on aggregate after just 11 minutes at the Emirates, meaning that Arsenal needed four goals to make the final. It was the Gunners who started better and dominated the early possession, but with United's first attack, Cristiano Ronaldo put in a deep cross. Defender Kieran Gibbs slipped at the vital moment and Park Ji-sung slotted the ball into the net after just eight minutes. Three minutes later, a 40-yard free kick from Ronaldo beat Manuel Almunia to give United a 2–0 lead on the

neg: 2005–06 Manchester United F.C. season offside in the build-up, and despite Heiðar Helguson's header giving Fulham some hope, Ronaldo's late strike sealed victory. United's next game was played away to Portsmouth at Fratton Park. United were 3–0 up at the interval, Ruud van Nistelrooy heading in the first after Ryan Giggs hit the bar. Cristiano Ronaldo then scored twice in seven minutes, first unleashing an unstoppable shot past Dean Kiely and then firing home with a low strike. Late on Matthew Taylor cleverly headed in Wayne Routledge's diagonal shot, while a Ronaldo free-kick hit the bar. United played their next game away to Wigan Athletic.

neg: 2012–13 Manchester United F.C. season Nani for going in with his foot at chest height in the 56th minute. Cristiano Ronaldo scored against his former club in both ties. 2012–13 Manchester United F.C. season The 2012–13 season was Manchester United's 21st season in the Premier League, and their 38th consecutive season in the top flight of English football. United's season began on 20 August 2012 with the first game of the Premier League campaign. After narrowly missing out on goal difference the previous season, they won an unprecedented 20th English top-flight title on 22 April 2013 with a win over Aston Villa at Old Trafford,

neg: 2007–08 Birmingham City F.C. season the game was a 13th-minute injury to Borja Oubiña that would see him injured until the end of the season. The final game of the month saw the side take on Manchester United. Although the Blues bossed large parts of the game, it was the Manchester side that finished with the points. Bad play from the Blues defence allowed Manchester United to score the only goal of the game from Cristiano Ronaldo. Blues' first game in October saw them return to Ewood Park for the second time in eleven days. Goals from David Bentley and Benni McCarthy saw Blackburn take