In his infamous interview with Dan Roan in 2015, Cristiano Ronaldo, then a Real Madrid player was asked if he would consider joining Manchester City. The question was framed in a way to ask Ronaldo if he would sign for a club offering him a good financial package. Ronaldo’s response to the question earned him eternal praise.
The clipping of this interview first surfaced in 2015, however, it was replayed again and again in 2021. In the 2021-22 season, Ronaldo was linked with a move to Manchester City. After he signed for his boyhood club Manchester United, however, the video of his surfaced again on the internet. It had become a huge part of the 37-year-old’s legacy as a soccer legend.
“You think the money gonna change my mind now with 30 years old? I don’t think so. I think this is not going to be a problem. Because if you speak about the money, I will go to Qatar. It’s not about the money. It’s about the passion.” This is what the Portuguese legend said in 2015.
Asked Ronaldo 6 yrs ago if one day he could join Man City with right offer:
“You think the money is going to change my mind now? I don’t think so..if you speak about money I’ll go to Qatar. They probably have more money than City! It’s not about the money it’s about the passion” pic.twitter.com/ZIcJJXRsC8— Dan Roan (@danroan) August 28, 2021
After one glorious reunion with Manchester United, however, Cristiano Ronaldo exited the club on bad terms. After appearing in a widely criticized Piers Morgan interview, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s contract was terminated from the Manchester club. Since then, the legend did not have the best World Cup campaign with Portugal.
🇸🇦✍️A breakdown of Cristiano Ronaldo’s two-year contract with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr;
💶€200M/year
💶€16.67M/month
💶€3.888M/week
💶€555,555/day
💶€23,150/hour
💶€386/minute
💶€6.5/second💰It’s the BIGGEST CONTRACT EVER in the history of football.#CR7𓃵|#AlNassr pic.twitter.com/Pf97jUXtoP
— FIFA World Cup Stats (@alimo_philip) December 30, 2022
Throughout the World Cup, Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes had been trying to get European clubs to sign him. His camp, however, failed to orchestrate a move to any club in Europe, and Ronaldo shockingly joined Al-Nassr, the Saudi Arabian club he was linked with a move to. The Portugal captain put pen to paper for the biggest contract in soccer history.
Cristiano Ronaldo breaks silence on Al-Nassr
CR7 has a huge fan following. The global soccer superstar boasts 527 Million followers on Instagram. Ordinarily, Ronaldo’s fanbase has always got his back. They have never failed in defending their GOAT on soccer forums online. This move, however, has upset a lot of the Portugal captain’s fans.
On 31st January, through his Instagram handle, the 37-year-old posted a picture of himself holding the Al-Nassr jersey, announcing his impending transfer to the Saudi Arabian side.
Can’t wait to get started! 🤩💛 pic.twitter.com/Zow3eQ3S44
— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) December 31, 2022
Given the fact that he is now going to be earning a reported $213 million annually, supporters have unearthed the 2015 interview of Ronaldo to call him out on social media. Fans are supposedly upset due to the effect it will have on the legacy of their favorite soccer legend.
It has been heavily reported by Saudi Arabian media channels that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner could start his first game for Al-Nassr soon. Ronaldo is tipped to make his debut in Asian soccer on 5 January 2023. Since those reports, Ronaldo has finally broken his silence to send a message to Al-Nassr’s supporters. “Hi guys, see you soon,” was the Portuguese legend’s message on Instagram.
Cristiano Ronaldo on Instagram ❤️pic.twitter.com/xXe5jsAcHt
— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) January 2, 2023
Cristiano Ronaldo has posted on Instagram a few times after the World Cup. This, however, is the first instance since Portugal’s exit from the World Cup that he has communicated with fans directly. Ronaldo seems excited to start this new chapter of his soccer career.