Cristiano Ronaldo was tipped to be the next big thing in soccer from the moment he arrived in Manchester in 2003. He was with Sir Alex Ferguson‘s Red Devils for 6 years before making the move to his dream club, Real Madrid. Ronaldo was a part of the legendary 2009 transfer window which also saw the arrivals of Kaka, Xabi Alonso, and Karim Benzema among others.
In his time in Madrid, Ronaldo went on to achieve greatness. Four out of his five Ballons d’Or were won when he played for Real Madrid. From 2011-2017 in particular, Ronaldo ran riot in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League. The 37-year-old racked up 50+ goals in 6 consecutive seasons. He also became Los Blancos’ top scorer with 450 goals to his name.
Manchester United accepted a world-record $131.5M bid from Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo 13 years ago today.
▪️ 438 games
▪️ 450 goals
▪️ 4 Champions Leagues
▪️ 4 Ballons d’OrA legendary signing 🏆 pic.twitter.com/5EyYZbrXxg
— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 11, 2022
Real Madrid is also the club where Ronaldo was given the title of ‘Mr. Champions League’ for his unbelievable record in the competition. While scoring a lot of goals in the Champions League and improving his record in the competition, Ronaldo also helped Madrid win 4 UCL titles. He guided his club to three successive victories in the competition in 2015-16, 2016-17, and 2017-18.
Ronaldo and Real Madrid were a perfect fit. However, a sudden twist to this fairytale of a union arrived in 2018. The ex-Manchester United man abruptly left the Madrid club to join Juventus for a transfer fee of $120 million. His move to the Old Lady was followed by a big question mark as to why he left the club where he achieved the most success. The topic remains hotly debated to this day, with many theories being put forth.
Was Ronaldo’s exit a result of his dispute with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez?
There are many reasons why Ronaldo’s departure from Madrid is ridden with plot holes. The first, and most pressing, is that the forward had hinted toward his desire of ending his career at Real Madrid.
When asked about the decision to leave, Ronaldo said he felt he was no longer “indispensable” at the club. It was believed that Florentino Perez, the Real Madrid president, was ready to let his star man leave for the right price.
The other theory put forth by fans and media is that Ronaldo had ambitions for a better paycheck. However, these allegations were quashed by the man himself. In an interview, he said: “If I wanted more money, I could have gone to China or Qatar.”
It was also reported that at the time, Perez wanted to bring in Neymar. He was willing to pay a lot of money for the ex-Barcelona forward. Perez wanted the Brazilian as Ronaldo’s replacement. Ex-Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon said the prospect of Neymar’s arrival did not go down well with Ronaldo.
Ronaldo also reportedly didn’t feel at home in Spain where he was the subject of a high-profile tax case. However, this being the reason behind his departure was denied by Florentino Perez. Reports had also suggested that Ronaldo and Perez’s relationship suffered a setback because of which he left.
However, the 37-year-old’s training sessions at the Valdebebas after the World Cup suggests otherwise. Cristiano Ronaldo is currently without a club following his exit from Manchester United. The veteran forward ended his tenure with the English club on a bad note after his interview with Piers Morgan.