The Portuguese provincial leagues appear to be where Manchester United got Cristiano Ronaldo’s successor. According to the Premier League website, Betinho, a former Brentford striker, was accidentally listed in the Red Devils’ roster list.
On Tuesday, the Premier League’s official website showed that Betinho, 29, was a member of Manchester United’s roster. It was a bizarre mistake that swiftly gained popularity on social media and the Portuguese press.
Even the ‘new signing’ for United joined in on the fun by posting a screenshot of the inaccurate listing on his Instagram page. Even his message to the other Portuguese players at United was included.
On Instagram, Betinho posted, “Thank you, Manchester United, see you soon.”
It will be a joy to share the dressing room with you, Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot.
Who is Betinho?
The Premier League website soon fixed its mistake, ending Betinho’s hope of playing for Manchester United. Instead, the attacker will need to focus on his obligations to Sporting Clube Espinho in Portugal’s regionalized fifth division.
However, Betinho and Cristiano Ronaldo share more than just their nationalities. The attacker started his career at Sporting CP after graduating from the illustrious club’s academy.
When he first started out, Betinho was regarded as one of the best prospects and played for Portugal up until the U21 level. He played frequently for Sporting’s B team after that, but struggled to break into the first squad and was given many loan stints, including one at Brentford, then playing in the English Championship.
Calls increased compared to his birthday
The unexpected “news” of Betinho’s quick return to professional football created quite a commotion among his family and acquaintances. The players stated he was swamped with calls and messages.
Betinho told the Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Noticia, “I only knew it was true when my friends sent me texts, and then I confirmed that it was actually my name on the Premier League website.
“I got more calls today than on my birthday!”
