Former Man United ace Cristiano Ronaldo wanted to quit Real Madrid last season due to criticism from president Florentino Perez, according to reports in Spain.
Perez was highly critical of the Portuguese international in January, and suggested that he could no longer beat players like he did during his days at Old Trafford, according to SPORT and The Express.
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According to the same report in The Express, the 30-year-old didn’t take kindly to the comments and is said to have wanted to leave the Bernabeu, with United considered a possible suitor.
It is claimed that the situation developed as far as Ronaldo even informing agent Jorge Mendes of his desire to get out of the club, before he later had a change of heart and opted to remain in the Spanish capital.
Ronaldo broke Raul’s record to become the club’s all-time La Liga top goalscorer this season, with his five-goal haul against Espanyol taking him to 229 in total.
Questions remain as to whether or not Rafa Benitez is the right man to guide Los Blancos to further glory this year, and he will be under significant pressure given that the Spanish giants failed to win the league or the Champions League last season.
The capital club have won two and drawn one so far this season, which leaves them two points adrift of rivals Barcelona, but naturally it is still far too early in the season to know how well they will do.
Nevertheless, Ronaldo remains an integral part of their plans and, although critics will suggest that the 30-year-old is on the decline, he will continue to attempt to prove them wrong with his goalscoring exploits both domestically and in Europe.
Real take on Shakhtar Donetsk in their Champions League opener on Tuesday night, and Ronaldo will aim to continue to add to his tally of 77 goals in Europe’s premier competition.
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