Real Madrid star player Ronaldo poised to move to other team

Real Madrid’ new coach Rafael Benitez openly said on Wednesday that he would create his team’s tactic centered on Gareth Bale, which angered Ronaldo, British media reported. Real Madrid President Florentino Perez also singled out Bale rather than Ronaldo as the team’s core resource, inconveniencing Ronaldo.

Ronaldo became last season`s top scorer in the Primera Liga, beating over archrival Lionel Messi. But the team failed to secure even a single championship as it was outrivaled by Barcelona. Real Madrid and Coach Benitez pointed finger at Ronaldo as the cause for the team’s lackluster performance last season. Tactics centered on Ronaldo and his selfish play thus came under criticism.

Spanish daily Sport reported that when former coach Carlo Ancelotti, who was in close relationship with Ronaldo, was fired, Ronaldo already made up his mind to leave the team. After the end of the last season, Ronaldo said in an SNS post that Ancelotti was the best coach, adding that he wanted to spend the next season with him, in support of the coach’s continued service with the team. Several days later, Real Madrid President Perez sacked Ancelotti.

Ronaldo’s contract with Real Madrid remains in effect through June 2018. Ronaldo has played for Real Madrid for six seasons since 2009. Given that he is already 30, chances are high that his move to a major club will be his last one. Prestigious overseas clubs already started behind-the-scene competition to recruit Ronaldo. Famed French team Paris Saint-Germain offered to pay 125 million euros in transfer fee to recruit Ronaldo. Manchester United where Ronaldo played originally also reportedly entered the race to recruit the striker by banking on its former coach Alex Ferguson who has close relationship with the player. Chelsea, the English team with deep pocket, is considering recruiting Ronaldo to help increase its offense capability as well.

Ronaldo’s transfer will likely be the eye of the typhoon in the European soccer community in the next season. Just with recruitment of Ronaldo, a team could instantly emerge as a leading candidate for the champion of a league. Foreign media outlets reported that recruitment of Ronaldo could give significant financial burden to a team, but it could increase the team’s value and performance, as an attractive card to play with.

creating@donga.com