Ronaldo joins Juventus leaving Real Madrid

Sports Desk: Cristiano Ronaldo is set to join Juventus after the Italian champions agreed a fee of around £88m with Real Madrid, bringing an end to a hugely successful nine-year stay at the Bernabeu.

The 33-year-old had hinted after Real’s third successive Champions League final triumph in May that he was keen to leave Spain and, with Manchester United reluctant to enter the bidding, he has decided to move to Serie A.

Ronaldo, who was once again Portugal’s star player as they exited the World Cup in the round of 16 following defeat to Uruguay, had always maintained that he wanted to rejoin United, but that move has failed to materialise and it is not thought manager Jose Mourinho was keen on the deal.

The five-time Ballon D'Or winner has instead elected to challenge himself in another major European league and should be unveiled by Juventus in the next 24 hours.

He will become the club’s record signing, eclipsing the £75.3m they paid Napoli for Gonzalo Higuain and is understood to have agreed terms on a four-year contract worth around £500,000-a-week.

"These years at Real Madrid, and in this city, have possibly been the happiest of my life," said Ronaldo.

"I only have feelings of enormous gratitude for this club, for these supporters and for this city. I can only give my thanks to all of them for the love and affection I have received.

"Nevertheless, I think I have arrived at the moment to open a new stage in my life, and for that reason I have asked the club to accept my transfer. I am sorry, and I ask everyone, most especially our fans, to please understand my decision.

"These have been nine absolutely wonderful years. They have been nine unique years. For me it has been an exciting time, but also on reflection hard because Real Madrid is of a very demanding level, but I know very well that I cannot forget that it is here that I have enjoyed football in a unique way."

Ronaldo joined Real Madrid in 2009, after six years at Manchester United, with Sir Alex Ferguson helping to mould him into one of the world’s best players after bringing him to England from Sporting Lisbon as a teenager.

He won four Champions League titles while in Spain, as well as two league championships, two Spanish Cups and three Fifa Club World Cups. He also won multiple league titles with United, as well as the Champions League in 2008.

Although supposedly no longer in his peak years as a player, Ronaldo remains in excellent physical condition and there are those who believe he will, like another former United player, Ryan Giggs, continue to play at the highest well into his late 30s. Nevertheless, Juventus have still taken a gamble in offering him such a lengthy contract given he will be 37 when it expires.

Although a key part of Real Madrid’s success, Ronaldo has had a difficult relationship with the club’s president Florentino Perez, who may well have been keen to get him off the wage bill in order to rebuild the team with younger players under new manager Julen Lopetegui.

Despite their dominance in the Champions League, Real struggled in La Liga, finishing 17 points behind champions Barcelona last season and are under pressure to win the league title next season.

Real have recently been linked with an interest in Brazilian superstar Neymar, although his French club, Paris Saint-Germain are reluctant to sell this summer.

Source: Telegraph.co.uk


risingbd/Dhaka/July 10, 2018/AI