The Breakdown of Perez and Ronaldo at Real Madrid

Ronaldo left Real Madrid over five months ago now, however, it is still raw for many Madridistas. How and why? Questions are always asked. With Ronaldo recently speaking out and Perez subliminally responding, what happened between president and player? We try to break it down.

The year is 2008 – then president Ramon Calderon has just finalised his deal of signing Manchester United superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo. Despite there being a change on his arrival date, the Portuguese were to be a Madrid player in the summer of 2009. However, Calderon wouldn’t see the unveiling of his crowning achievement as he stepped in January of 2009, Florentino Perez returned for a second term in charge of Madrid.

With Perez’s return came in a parade of transfers including Ronaldo. Perez brought in the likes of Benzema, Kaka and Xabi Alonso to be on the face of his new project. However, Ronaldo almost didn’t make it to the doors of the Bernabeu. Upon cementing his second term, Perez was not keen on signing Ronaldo. He felt he could have signed another 2 to 3 players for the money spent on the deal and even consulted with the board about pulling out of the deal, only to be refuted. Upon hearing the news of Perez’s lack of interest in his services, Ronaldo reached out to his agent, Jorge Mendes and told him to cancel the deal and not to even collect the 30 million Euro penalty clause if the deal was pulled, however, eventually the deal was done and Ronaldo joined.

The Portuguese star went onto smash record after record in his spell at Madrid – he became an icon, a legend. He was the man that everyone looked to. According to Calderon, however, Perez couldn’t feel the same sense of pride with Ronaldo that he did with Benzema for example. Calderon said that Perez couldn’t feel pride toward something he inherited, something that wasn’t of his moulding. To put it into context, Perez looked at Ronaldo as an ‘adopted step-son.’

Calderon details that Valdano had a large role in playing mediator between the two, acting as a middle ground, something numerous managers would do in their stints, even Zinedine Zidane undertook this responsibility in his tenure.

The first instance between the two that started the slide in their relations was in 2012. When Ronaldo was up for the UEFA Best Player award – the award was eventually won by Barcelona midfielder, Andres Iniesta who was accompanied by his then club president, Sandro Rossell. Ronaldo felt let down as Perez did not attend with him as he chased another individual award.

Ronaldo shared a strong affinity with Manchester United, as seen on his return there during a Champions League game with Madrid. However, he didn’t feel the same with Madrid or it’s hierarchy.

The following season, Madrid saw Gareth Bale sign for a record-breaking fee. Perez viewed this as his creation to take the club forward, the man to succeed Cristiano. Diego Torres of El Pais reported at the time that Perez views Bale as his project – “Florentino dreamed of Bale as a Golden Shoe winner, scoring spectacular goals. His dream is to switch Cristiano with Bale because he created Bale as a superstar. He made him the first €100 million player. He feels Bale is his creation, that everyone relates Bale to him, to Florentino.”

Another contributing factor to the breakdown of their relations was some of the decisions undertaken by Perez, the sacking of Ancelotti and the sales of Ozil and Di Maria. All of which reportedly upset Ronaldo amongst others.

Another contributing factor over the years as Ronaldo feeling he wasn’t getting his worth – looking on at Messi getting recognition and upgraded contracts, numerous times over numerous summers the headlines rang ‘Ronaldo to leave Madrid’ before it was resolved in Florentino offering the star what he demanded. It seems Ronaldo never felt Perez truly valued him for what he felt he was worth, despite Perez trying to refute those claims on occasions.

Fast forward to 2016, Ronaldo has just signed a new deal and claims he wants to stay at Madrid, saying he wants to play until he is 40. The team go onto have quite the successful season with a La Liga and UCL double – Ronaldo playing an integral role. In early 2017, it was reported Ronaldo was promised another raise and renewal, however, it never happened. Not long after, Ronaldo was accused of tax fraud by the Spanish government – this was a significant time in the breakdown of his relationship with Perez and the club. Lionel Messi had been found guilty of the same thing previously, however, Barcelona and its hierarchy backed him, even going as far to start a Twitter trend #WeAreAllLeoMessi. Ronaldo? He felt completely alone, questioning where was the clubs support? Where was Perez? That summer, following the conclusion of the Confederations Cup, Ronaldo made the claim he was to leave Madrid and his decision was irreversible.

Perez detailed he would speak with the player following the conclusion of the Confed Cup, it seemed to work as Ronaldo stayed on for the following season. However, the drama wasn’t over before the year was out. In December 2017, following his fifth Balon d’Or win, Ronaldo was left feeling angered again as Perez decided to discuss Neymar during the ceremony as the team were perennially linked with the Brazilian which upset Ronaldo. He felt they were continuing to try and replace him, this is when things really began to fall apart.

The 2017/18 season was a tumulous one for Madrid. A third UCL in as many years was lifted but it was not one to remember for the poor league campaign. Come to the end of the season, Zidane had stepped down and the summer to forget for Real fans began. Reports of Ronaldo’s exit had begun as mere rumours in circulation – just another summer rumour, however, it built and built. Jorge Mendes has a meeting with Madrid where he confirmed his clients interest to exit, the biggest surprise is that he actually desired to leave in January. Juventus came in and the rest is history – Ronaldo departed.

“I felt it inside the club, especially from the president, that they no longer considered me the same way that they did in the start. In the first four or five years there, I had the feeling of being ‘Cristiano Ronaldo’. Less afterwards.”

Whilst both men hold significance in the history of this club – it is clear they never truly shared a relationship but just a mere business partnership. They knew of their value but simply nothing more.