Why Cristiano Ronaldo Left Real Madrid in 2018

The Portuguese superstar brought the curtain down on a legendary stint to head to Juventus.

Ronaldo left Madrid in 2018. | IMAGO/Cordon Press

Cristiano Ronaldo’s time at Real Madrid is the stuff of legend.

Widely regarded as the club’s greatest-ever player, the Portuguese forward spent nine remarkable seasons with Los Blancos after his $105 million transfer from Manchester United in 2009. During his time at the Santiago Bernabéu, Ronaldo achieved it all—both individually and with the team.

He scored a club-record 450 goals and registered 44 hat tricks, winning four UEFA Champions League titles, two La Liga trophies and four Ballon d’Or awards (adding to the one he had already won at United). His legacy at Real Madrid remains unmatched.

However, his time at the club came to a somewhat bitter end in 2018.

Despite playing a crucial role in yet another Champions League triumph that year, Ronaldo was then sold to Juventus for $117 million in a shocking move that left fans stunned and wondering why the club would part ways with its biggest star at the height of his powers.

So, why exactly did Cristiano Ronaldo leave Real Madrid?

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Why Cristiano Ronaldo Left Real Madrid

Ronaldo’s relationship with Florentino Pérez deteriorated. | IMAGO/Alterphotos

Ronaldo was open about why he left Real Madrid for Juventus.

Shortly after the move, he sat down for an interview with France Football, explaining why he decided to swap the Spanish capital for Turin.

“I felt it inside the club, especially from the president, that they no longer considered me the same way they did at the start,” he said. “In the first four or five years there, I had the feeling of being ‘Cristiano Ronaldo.’ Less so afterwards. The president looked at me through eyes that didn’t quite see me the same way, as if I was no longer indispensable to them.”

“That’s what made me think about leaving. Sometimes I’d see the news 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,” he added.

On why he chose Juventus specifically, Ronaldo said: “If it had all been about money, I’d have moved to China, where I would have earned five times as much as I did 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. They showed me that.”

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