Real Madrid’s all-time highest goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo for the first time opened up about his decision to leave the La Liga giants.
Speaking to France Football in an interview, the ace footballer said that Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez is the reason he decided to leave Los Blancos as he only saw Portugal ace as a means of making money.
The former Manchester United striker, who left Real Madrid in summer transfer window for around Euro 100m, joined the Italian champions after becoming Real’s all-time leading goalscorer. He also inspired the club to 15 major trophies including four Champions Leagues and two La Liga titles.
When Ronaldo joined Juventus, Real Madrid claimed the transfer had been instigated “at the will and the request of the player”. However, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has suggested Pérez’s attitude towards him had changed.
“I felt it inside the club, especially from the president, that they no longer considered me the same way that they did in the start,” Ronaldo said, before adding, “In the first four or five years there, I had the feeling of being ‘Cristiano Ronaldo’. Less afterwards. The president looked at me through eyes that didn’t want to say the same thing, as if I was no longer indispensable to them if you know what I mean.”
Uno per tutti, tutti per uno! #finoallafine pic.twitter.com/LY0YHlM96o
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) October 27, 2018
Ronaldo further said, “That’s what made me think about leaving. Sometimes I’d look at the news, where they were saying I was asking to leave. There was a bit of that, but the truth is that I always had the impression that the president would not hold me back. If it had all been about money, I’d have moved to China, where I would have earned five times as much than here [at Juventus] or at Real. I did not come to Juve for the money. I earned the same in Madrid, if not more. The difference is that, at Juve, they really wanted me. They told me that and made it clear. They showed me that.”
Commenting on Pérez, Ronaldo said, “He only ever looked at me as a business relationship. I know it. What he told me never came from the heart.”
When asked whether Zinedine Zidane’s decision to leave Real Madrid had influenced his move, CR7 said, “My decision to leave was not based on his departure. That being the case, it’s one of those little things that made me feel a bit better in terms of what I thought of the situation at the club.”
After joining Juventus, Ronaldo has so far scored seven goals for the Serie A giants.
Ogni partita insegna qualcosa…ora concentrati sulla prossima.💪🏽#finoallafine pic.twitter.com/HkBb9tWnMv
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) October 20, 2018
Speaking about winning Ballon d’Or award three times in a row, he said, “I think I deserve it this year … Yes, I dream of winning the Ballon d’Or for the sixth time and passing, in this case, Lionel Messi.”