A 3-0 victory is usually a cause for celebration. For Real Madrid, however, it’s caused a real stink and a major headache. Whilst they bagged three points, it also made public a major issue that threatens to tear the club apart and severely damage their season.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 149th and 150th Real Madrid goal against Granada on Sunday night, but wasn’t willing to crack a smile. Despite this impressive landmark, the talented Portugal remained completely stoic. Naturally, reporters wanted to find out why Ronaldo played things so cool. His answer was surprising:
“I’m sad because of a professional issue and the club know why. That’s why I didn’t celebrate the goals, because I’m not happy. The people [at the club] know why. It’s nothing to do with Iniesta [winning European player award]. I won’t talk about this any more and I will concentrate on Portugal for now. There are more important things. The people at the club know about this. I can’t say any more.”
I won’t claim to have any unique insight into why Ronaldo’s so unhappy. There’s plenty of speculation out there on the internet, if you’d like to partake. I can’t help but wonder, however, exactly how this will impact on Cristiano’s Real Madrid future.
His comments have helped fuel the claims of Marca and AS (via Sports Witness) that Ronaldo has met with his club president requesting permission to leave the La Liga champions. If there’s any truth to these claims, it’s absolutely massive news.
Yes, he’s tied down with Real until 2015, but if he’s unhappy, he may well look to force his move out of the club. And if he were to do this, Sports Witness claim that Manchester United could be his most desired destination. Well, United fans can dream, right?
Back in 2010, Ronaldo spoke to the News of the World, admitting that he wouldn’t rule out a return move to Manchester United: “Of course I miss playing for Manchester United, I played there for six years and that’s a long time. I am still interested in watching Manchester United and, you never know, maybe in the future I could return to play there. It’s always possible. I am really happy and everyone knows this is my club but, of course, I miss Manchester United, the boss, the players, because I left family there.”
So, a return to Old Trafford isn’t completely outside the realms of possibility. Now that he has admitted to being unhappy, the link may grow stronger and Sir Alex may start to weigh up a move. Goodness knows how much it would cost, but I think it’s fair to say he’d be worth the investment.
He’s an extremely valuable player, not just because of his contribution on the pitch, but also because he’s extremely marketable. I’m sure United fans would love to see him back at the club.
So let’s hope that there’s some truth to the claims in the Spanish media!
What’s your take? Could Cristiano Ronaldo EVER return to Manchester United?
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