Cristiano Ronaldo’s Reasons for Leaving Real Madrid – La Liga Cristiano Ronaldo’s Reasons for Leaving Real Madrid – La Liga
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Reasons for Leaving Real Madrid – La Liga

September 6, 2024

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Reasons for Leaving Real Madrid – La Liga

Among the all-time great players is Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese striker was always the center of attention, whether he was making his big debut at Sporting Lisbon or Manchester United or ruling the globe with Real Madrid. His 900th career goal in September 2024 demonstrated that he is a natural goal scorer.

He’s been successful at every club he’s been at, leading each to new heights with his confidence, arrogance, and innate talent. Of course, it’s all relative, but his talent is apparent. Most notably, Ronaldo is known for his nine-year tenure at Real Madrid, where he set a record for the most goals scored by the team ever.

Particularly after he helped them win the Champions League four times, everything he touched seemed to turn to gold. However, his time in the Spanish capital ended severely because the Portuguese superstar had different opinions from those at the top. While Ronaldo keeps shattering records, we’ve taken a trip down memory lane to list why the most outstanding player ever played for Real Madrid left the team.

Ronaldo’s Reasons for Leaving Real Madrid

He and Florentino Perez held different opinions.

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Real Madrid recently defeated Liverpool 3-1 in the Champions League final 2018. They won the championship for the third consecutive year. Still, Ronaldo was not the hero—Gareth Bale scored two goals in the decisive match to seal the win instead of Ronaldo. Everything at the club appeared okay after ruling the world, but cracks were visible beneath the surface.

In the summer, Ronaldo moved from Real Madrid to Juventus for a record-breaking £85 million. The former Sporting Lisbon player moved from Madrid to Turin because of disagreements with club president Florentino Perez, as was later disclosed in the following years. At first, the team stated that the transfer had been initiated “at the will and request of the player.” However, 

Ronaldo stated in an October 2018 interview with France Football that Perez’s opinions made it evident that he ought to depart.

“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,” he stated.

“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.”

Cristiano Ronaldo was also seeking a fresh challenge

The striker has always had victory as his main priority.

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However, Ronaldo’s decision to leave Real Madrid wasn’t solely motivated by that. Ronaldo desired a fresh challenge following his all-out victory and Zinedine Zidane’s departure from the team as manager. Refentino Perez told Onda Cero in May 2019 that “he wanted a change and to improve his contract, so he found it at Juventus, and everyone was happy.”

It is closely related to the superstar’s mindset on and off the field.

Ronaldo has always been intent on winning, as an individual and a team member, making him the most significant Portuguese player of all time. At 39 years old, he is still active for his country, and his time at Juventus has also seen him succeed.

Ronaldo won the Coppa Italia once and twice in Serie A during a three-year stint from 2018 to 2021.” The Champions League presented a fresh environment and an early challenge for him to succeed, but he could never obtain it again. In the same interview with France Football, he stated that money was never the main factor.

“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,” he outlined.

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author
Katarzyna Nowak

Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and football sportsbook app reviews. As an author for Football News Today, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for football, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.