If reports are to be believed, football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo may be starting to regret his decision to leave Real Madrid CF last year. According to Sputnik, Spain’s ABC reports that Ronaldo aired the sentiment to his close associates in the past month. Ronaldo felt that he struggled to start from scratch again in a new team, considering that Real Madrid CF was where he experienced a big chunk of his success.
Ronaldo vs Messi, one of the greatest rivalry in sports
The Juventus forward's statement was said to be triggered by the fact that his main rival, Argentinian forward Lionel Messi, edged him again for the Ballon d'Or trophy.
The Argentinian player, who plays for FC Barcelona, got the award for the record sixth time.
Ronaldo, who has five career Ballon d’Or, got irked that he only managed to get third place in the Ballon d’Or rankings this year. The Portuguese superstar is said to be of the opinion that he could have won the award in the past two years if only he stayed with Real Madrid CF.
Ronaldo’s transfer to Juventus
The Portuguese football superstar surprised a lot of fans when he decided to transfer to Juventus. He signed a four-year contract with the Italian football club, a deal worth almost $111 million. Apart from that, he also received more than $13 million for other fees and solidarity funding for the superstar’s youth clubs.
The massive amount represented the most expensive transfer for any football player for over 30 years. It was also the highest recorded value that an Italian club has ever paid for a transfer.
The transfer was a hot topic among fans and industry insiders. It can be recalled that Ronaldo spent ten years with Real Madrid before he moved to Juventus.
At the time, the Portuguese sports icon explained his decision as him needing “a new challenge.” However, reports say that the actual reason is that he became angry at Real Madrid for not giving in to his demands during contract negotiations.
CR7'S form since moving Juventus
While Ronaldo is still a football powerhouse, a lot of fans have noticed a little dip in goal scoring form for the 34-year old icon.
In comparison to his final season with Real Madrid, he produced five fewer goals in his first season with the Italian football club. This was even if he had 500 more minutes of playing with Juventus.
His teammates seem to still believe in CR7's great skills, however. His Juventus teammate and defender Giorgio Chiellini, for example, has stated that Ronaldo had a fighting chance to win the Ballon d’Or in 2018 and 2019. He thinks that the Portuguese may have lost both times because Real Madrid may be retaliating against him for leaving the club. Stay tuned for more news and updates on Soccer.