Eurosport - Sun, 21 Jun 14:36:00 2009
Cristiano Ronaldo says he made up his mind last year to quit Manchester United for Real Madrid, whom he has agreed to join for a world record £80 million.
Madrid courted Ronaldo all through last summer but the 24-year-old decided to stay and try to help United defend their 2008 Champions League title, featuring in their final loss in May to Barcelona.
Although United retained their English Premier League title, Ronaldo told the paper he decided to leave after the May 2007 final win over Chelsea.
"After we won the European Cup. I thought there is no more I can achieve here," the Portuguese told the News of the World.
"And when you have done all you can, you know it is time for a new challenge. I stayed one more season and it was nice to make it three titles in a row but it was my dream to play for Madrid."
Ronaldo is reportedly set to earn £11m a year with Real to become the world's highest-paid footballer once the finishing touches are put to his move but he insisted: "Of course, I have not gone for the money.
"To go down as the greatest. It will take lots of work but that is my target. If you go down as the greatest at Madrid it means you are one of the greatest of all time."
Ronaldo also touched on his antics in the 2006 World Cup, when he greeted the sending off of United teammate Wayne Rooney during his country's quarter-final win over England with a sly wink.
"Sometimes you do things because emotions are running high - but Wayne is my good friend," Ronaldo said.
"I can't regret it because I think the whole experience made me stronger.
"But looking back it was not the right thing to do and not something I would do any more."
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Comment 145 - 164 of 164
daniel, well said respect from man u fan
hey Man Utd fans, DON'T be fanatic, let the kid go... he's done the best 4 u. Mayb one day he'll be back, but don't be unfair with him... you just live once & he allways had madrid's dream. It doesn't means he isn't greatfull. He loves england, but sportsmen needs new challanges. That's called ambition & courage. Don't judge what you can't deal with.
Shaka.People have said this for years.When Cantona left,the same when Beckham left and now with Ronaldo.When will you learn?United will come back stronger than before.We will continue to win titles.M.U.F.C
if you wanna go, then I'll say to you 'get the f**k out' and United will be better without you.. f**ker..
Since you have been playing so much at ManU, your new challenge is to sit on the Bench at RM and vegetate.. What a bunch of BULL ! There are times in your life that you should just " Shut Up."
C ronaldo is a @#$% hi is a good actor hi is not a strong and a good player some time he lukes to me like woman
MAN U IS NOTHING WITHOUT CR7
He`s been stringing man ure along all this time.
The sly old dog !
bye bye mancy boys.. your time is up.
You put your transfer in,
Your transfer out,
In out, in out, you @#$% your club about,
You do the Cristiano and you change your mind,
That's what it's all about!!!
Ohhhhhh Ronaldo is a wonker,
Ohhhhhh Ronaldo is a wonker,
Knees bent, arms stretched, dive dive dive
Let's see next season who is the boss at Real Madrid.
Ronaldo, Kaka, or even Ribery or David Villa?
Maybe a few words will be exchanged in the dressing room...
lets see just how good ronaldo is when wayne rooney isn't chasing back all the balls he's lost and giving him great passes while he waits around for them. madrid is a career killing club, enjoy not winning @#$% ronaldo!
STOP...... CARRY ON!!!
I heard Real Madrid want to pull out of the Ronaldo deal....they heard they can get a big girls blouse for a tenner at Matalan!!
Ronaldo and Tevez's departure is a blow to Ferguson . He is so desperate to bring in
players to replace them . Benzema , Ribery , Torres , Villa , Valencia , Silva , Eto'o , Valdes . Ferguson should
make serious bids and consider the players in every aspects . Not just signing players without knowing
the reason behind it . Benzema , Ribery , Villa and Silva is just nice . Valencia is totaly out .
By the way , who is he to replace Ronaldo -.-. Torres' bid is a JOKE !! Although i would be delighted if the bid succeed .
This move will find him out! He is NOT feared at all over there and will have no psychological advantage to carry him forward. When he has shed a few tears and chucked a few dummy's we shall see just what he is inside...especially since there are so many over there who ARE stars !!! Mark my words...he's good but George Best he ain't !!!!
man utd is selling ronaldo and tevez, its like selling their soul for money,.. rooney , berbatov and who every they buy can't get the job done well.
i see manutd going down next season.
good choice u think ur da best in da world but ur not there are more and much better players dan u so dnt think ur da best wach u play man u and were gonna eggu big time traitor and cheeetah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! in the spain la liga there are a huge amount of good players not jus u so ur population and fans and supporters are going down den ur gona wish u were bac at man u tough luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! any way u were holding man u bac we could have signed so many top world class players but ur so greedy 4 money. whatever u said on the news was wrong it was not a dream 2 wear the wite shirt it was all bout ur wages not the shirttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#148, would that be a driving test or a "diving" test? The Galacticos, part II. This is only to bring the fans to the Bernabeu. This team has too many stars and not enough journeymen. Like the first Galacticos, they will crash again, out of too many competitions. The only trophy I could see them getting is the Copa del Rey. In la Liga, they will be outmatched, in the C. L. outscored. The "estrellas," once more, "estrellados"!!!
2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0
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