Gonzalo Higuain's Father Still 'Hurt' Over Son's Real Madrid Sale As Juve Face Los Blancos in UCL

Gonzalo Higuain's ill-fated Real Madrid spell and sale was all down to club president Florentino Perez, according to the striker's father.

Jorge Higuain told Spanish radio station Cadena SER (via the Daily Mail) that he still feels pangs of hurt every time he thinks about how the reigning La Liga champions treated his son during his spell at Santiago Bernabeu.

Higuain was sold to Napoli by Perez in the summer of 2013, and the Argentine goalscorer appears to have had the last laugh since - going on the break the Serie A goalscoring record in 2015/16 and earning himself a £76m switch to Juventus that same summer.

David Ramos/GettyImages

But his dad still harbours resentment towards Real and Perez, and stated his opinion that Higuain could have become a Real great alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo if he had been kept in the Spanish capital.

He remarked: "It hurt me the way he left Madrid. It's something that the president at the time did. He [Perez] probably didn't like him.

"I think they could have done a lot more things with [Karim] Benzema, Cristiano [Ronaldo] and Gonzalo together. When they formed that trio in Madrid, they were some of the best goal-scorers. Gonzalo could have stayed longer at Real Madrid."

(You may also be interested in 3 Key Battles That Could Decide Real Madrid's Clash With Juventus on Tuesday)

Higuain will face his former club in the quarter finals of the Champions League on Tuesday as Juventus host Real at the Allianz Stadium in Turin.

The 30-year-old took on Los Blancos in last season's final in Wales but was part of the side that was humbled 4-1 by Zinedine Zidane's all-stars.

MARCO BERTORELLO/GettyImages

Higuain missed a glorious chance during that match to try and wrest some form of control back for Max Allegri's men and it proved to be decisive as a Ronaldo and Isco inspire Real team thumped I Bianconeri at the Principality Stadium.

Higuain has plundered 22 goals in 40 appearances for Juventus so far this term and will want to add to that tally on Tuesday and in the reverse fixture in eight days' time.