“I felt it inside the club, especially from the president" - When Cristiano Ronaldo revealed why he left Real Madrid in 2018
There's little doubt about Cristiano Ronaldo being one of the greatest Real Madrid legends of all time. The Portuguese talisman left the club to join Serie A giants Juventus for a reported £85 million in 2018, disappointing Madridistas worldwide.
Six years later, Ronaldo's legacy at the club arguably remains unmatched. There has been much speculation about what led to the legendary forward's departure from the Bernabeu, with most reports suggesting major disagreements with president Florentino Perez.
In an October 2018 interview with France Football, Ronaldo shared his side of the story, explaining the circumstances that led to his departure from Real Madrid. He said:
“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. 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."
The Portuguese icon further explained that he didnt feel valued enough by Perez:
“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, I always had the impression the president would not hold me back."
In 438 appearances across competitions for Los Blancos, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a record 450 goals and recorded 131 assists.
The Portuguese talisman won four Champions League, two La Ligas, two Copa Del Rey, two Spanish Super Cups, three UEFA Super Cups and three FIFA Club World Cups with the club. Four of his five Ballon d'Or wins (2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017) also came during his time at Real Madrid.
"He wanted a change" - When Florentino Perez explained why Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid
In 2020, Florentino Perez, in one of Real Madrid's annual general meeting, explaining how Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer to Juventus was one of the club's most profitable deals. Perez said (as per 90 min):
"The most profitable sale this year was that of Cristiano Ronaldo. He wanted to leave for personal reasons, and when everyone is converging on one solution, you come to an agreement. No one offered Real Madrid more than Juventus' €100 million.
The Real Madrid president called Ronaldo the 'best ever' to have played for the club after Alfredo Di Stefano:
"We can’t do anything but thank Ronaldo for all he did with this shirt. He’s the best ever after (Alfredo) Di Stefano, and this will always be his home."
At the time of Ronaldo's departure, there were multiple reports suggesting that the Portugal international had left Real Madrid due to complications regarding a high profile tax case. However, Perez rubbished such claims in an interview with Onda Cero in May 2019.
“There were rumours about him wanting to leave because of the tax case, but that’s not the reality of the situation. He wanted a change and to improve his contract, so he found it at Juventus and everyone was happy," Perez explained.
Ronaldo also elaborated on why he chose to move to Juventus, stressing that his decision was made due to sporting reasons and not money, telling France Football:
"If it had all been about money, I’d have moved to China, where I would have earned five times as much as 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."
At Juventus, Ronaldo won the Serie A twice and the Coppa Italia once, scoring 101 times across competitions across three seasons.