“This guy is an idiot, a sick man” – When Cristiano Ronaldo received brutal attack from Florentino Perez through leaked audio tapes
Back in 2012, Real Madrid President Florentino Perez brutally attacked Cristiano Ronaldo verbally. The audio was obtained by MARCA and leaked to the public.
Cristiano Ronaldo plied his trade for Real Madrid for nine seasons, between 2009 and 2018. He became a club legend during his time there. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner scored 450 goals in 438 appearances for Los Blancos. He also won 15 trophies, including four Champions Leagues.
However, not everything was as smooth behind the seasons as it seemed. That's because in 2012, audio was leaked of Perez verbally attacking Ronaldo (via CaughtOffside), calling the legend 'crazy', 'idiot' and 'sick':
“He’s crazy. This guy is an idiot, a sick man. You think this guy is normal, but he’s not normal, otherwise he wouldn’t do all the things he does. The last nonsense he did, the whole world saw it. Why do you think he does these stupid things?”
The reasons for the attack were never disclosed, but it's believed to be a financial one. The damage was done though, and the incident was seen as a PR disaster.
This wouldn't be the last time the Portuguese superstar was in the news for publicly damaging a club he played for. Ronaldo fell out of favour with Erik ten Hag at the start of the 2022-23 season at Manchester United after being regularly benched.
The 38-year-old did not take that well and slandered the club during an interview with BBC broadcaster Piers Morgan. Cristiano Ronaldo attacked Ten Hag, the club owners and some of the players.
His contract was subsequently mutually terminated at the end of November, and he went on to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr in January.
Cristiano Ronaldo could join Newcastle United in summer due to clause in Al-Nassr contract
According to SportzWiki, Cristiano Ronaldo could make a sensational return to the Premier League this summer. A clause in his Al-Nassr contract could enable him to join Newcastle United if they qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
Newcastle sealed that on Monday (May 22) after drawing goalless with Leicester City. This is a notable accomplishment for a club that was acquired by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund last year.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo has had a decent tenure for the Knights of Najd, scoring 13 goals in 17 appearances across competitions. However, he's likely to end the season without any silverware. Al-Nassr have been knocked out of all domestic competitions (Saudi Super Cup and King Cup of Champions) and are likely to finish behind Al-Ittihad in the league.
Hence, Cristiano Ronaldo may be tempted to join Newcastle. It's unlikely, though, as he would want to start every game, but that would be a challenge, considering the form Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak are in right now.
Wilson has 18 goals and five assists in 35 games across competitions, while Isak has ten goals and two assists in 26 games.