It is a measure of the progress Manchester United have made this summer that they kick off their Champions League campaign in Switzerland this evening with two players who have each won the competition four times with Real Madrid.
Of all the attributes Cristiano Ronaldo and Raphael Varane bring to United, there is none greater than a stellar European pedigree that saw them win the cherished La Decima — Madrid’s 10th triumph in the European Cup — followed by three more Champions Leagues in the four seasons that followed.
Throw in five UEFA Super Cups and eight FIFA Club World Cups between them, and you get some idea of the kind of European experience United have got for their £62.8million investment.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has hailed the arrivals of Raphael Varane (left) and Cristiano Ronaldo (middle) at Manchester United
The former Real Madrid team-mates moved to Old Trafford for nearly £60million this summer
Not quite the final pieces in the puzzle, as manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer suggested before correcting himself last night, but certainly two players who could turn United into serious contenders.
They will be helped by playing in a comparatively easy Group F comprising Swiss champions Young Boys, Atalanta and Villarreal.
‘We’re getting the spine of the team, and you can see the experience and quality,’ said Solskjaer.
‘Of course, with Raphael and Cristiano coming in, they add that last… not last bit, you can never say it’s the last bit. It’s something extra we have to buy unless you win it four times yourself.
Solskjaer claims the spine of United's team has been improved during the transfer market
‘That was always the plan when I came in, that we had a squad with experience and quality to challenge. The atmosphere is really good and that’s definitely going to stand us in good stead.’
If Ronaldo plays tonight he will equal former Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas’s record of 177 Champions League appearances.
‘It’s great to have Cristiano back at home,’ said Solskjaer. ‘The impact showed on the first day we played, with two very important goals for us. You know
