World Soccer Presents - Rise of Ronaldo (2022)

Luxury...notmany

clubscouldafford

CristianoRonaldo

thatRonaldohadseenRealMadridpresidentFlorentino

Perez inhisofficeattheBernabeu,justbeforethesigning

ofMichaelEssien- aconversation,itisworthremembering,

thattookplaceimmediatelyafterthetransferwindowhad

closed.Itsmeltlikecontractrenegotiationsandameansof

pressuringtheclubintoofferingabiggersalary andbetter

terms.But wastheremoretoit?

REALLEAKS

LeakshaveclaimedthatRonaldohadtoldPerezhewas

unhappy duringthemeeting,fittinghis

remark “andtheclubknowwhy”.

Whatwasnotleaked- at leastnot yet- wasthereason

why.Soon,theconversationwasbeingreportedinfar starker

terms:Ronaldohadnotjust saidthathewas unhappy,hehad

saidhewants toleave. Still,therewas,naturallyenough,no

confirmation.

Afewweeks later,JavierMatallanaswroteinthenewspaper

ASthatwhenRonaldocommunicatedhisdesiretoleave,

Perez hadrepliedwithwordstotheeffectof:fine,bring

methemoneytobuyMessiandyoucango.

Ifso,itishardlylikelytohaveimprovedRonaldo’s mood.

This,afterall,is amanwhoisconfrontedwithMessiatevery

turn.ItseemsimpossibletotalkaboutRonaldowithout

addingtherider“yes,butMessi...”

Itisunderstandablethatthisshould

irritateRonaldo- as wassostarkly

revealedbyhisangry responseto

chantsof “Messi,Messi”duringEuro

2012. Buttheproblemisnotjustabout

theBarcelonastar;itisaboutMadrid.

Ronaldowas saidtofeellet downby

RealMadrid,thathefelthedidnotget the

supporthebelieves hedeserves.Therehad

beentimeswhentheMadridfans,frustrated

atRonaldo’sapparentindividualism,had

whistledhim.Thosedaysarenowlonggone,

althoughawayfansstill lovetohatehim.But

hisgripewas morewithhisownclub,with

hisexperienceofRealMadrid,thanits

supportersoroppositionfans.

Inevitably, attentionwasdrawntoMessi;

thatinescapablecomparison.AtBarcelona,

thesupportfortheArgentinianis unwavering,

andtheclub’spresidentandsportingdirector

travelwithhimtoawardsceremonies,while

team-matesexpresstheiradmiration.

ThereweresuggestionsthatRonaldofelt

thatMadriddidnotdoenoughtopromotehis

candidacyforthemajorawards,asiftheywere

somehowcomplicitinnotwinningtheBallond’Or.

Whetherhewas rightisanothermatter entirely;whetherit

isevenaclub’s jobtocampaignfor aplayertowintheBallon

d’Or(especiallywhentheyhaveotherplayerswhoare

candidates)isanotherissuetoo.AndMadridcoachJose

Mourinhowas soonaggressivelycampaigningforRonaldo

tobethe 2012 Ballond’Orwinner, notoncementioning

IkerCasillas,Spain’s EuroChampionship-winningcaptain.

suppor

bytheclub.

Thesuspicionstilllingersthatanewcontract wouldresolve

everythingandmightyet betheendgame.Itwassimple,

observerssaid:asRonaldohimselfhadsaid,hewas nothappy.

AscrisisfollowedcrisisatMadrid,andMourinho’s

relationshipwithsomemembersofthesquadworsened,it

becameclearthatRonaldowasnotanchoringhisfutureto

hiscoachandcountryman.SourcesatParisSaint-Germain,

whopubliclyadmittedthatbothMourinhoandRonaldo

aretargets,revealedthatthewinger hadexpressedhis

“Itseemsimpossibletotalk

aboutRonaldowithoutadding

therider‘yes,butMessi...’”

REALMADRID