4 reasons why Real Madrid were right to sell Cristiano Ronaldo

It is inevitable that everything on this earth has an ending. With that in mind, 5-time Ballon d'Or winner, Cristiano Ronaldo has ended his Real Madrid career, completing a famous move to join Italian champions, Juventus on a 4-year contract.

After spending nine successful years at the Santiago Bernabeu, winning a lot of honours including four UEFA Champions League trophies, the attacker felt it was time to take on another challenge by swapping the La Liga for the Serie A.

While his move accelerated the reputation of the Italian giants in a very short while, Real Madrid found themselves in a totally different atmosphere. As a matter of fact, the club has fallen under intense scrutiny ever since the forward announced his departure, with many critics seizing their opportunity to express grievances towards the deal.

However, critic analysis reveals that Cristiano's exit from Real has not come out all bad for the Champions League winners. In fact, Los Blancos were right to sell the attacker and here are four reasons why:

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#4 He wanted to leave

The attacker appeared set to leave

Cristiano Ronaldo's decision to quit Real Madrid might have come as a big surprise to many, but not to the player himself. Evidently, the attacker had made up his mind to leave the Santiago Bernabeu a few months ago, as suggested by his comments after leading Real Madrid to a third consecutive Champions League triumph in May.

Following a 3-1 victory against Liverpool at the NSC Olympiyskiy Stadium, the attacker said in an interview:

"Right now we need to enjoy ourselves but in the next few days I’ll give an answer to the fans who have always been by my side... it was beautiful to be at Real Madrid."

Therefore, it was a smart decision to make from Real's perspective as there is no point in keeping a player who doesn't want to stay.

#3 Age

Ronaldo is already in the latter stages of his career

There are many good reasons why Real Madrid were right to part ways with Cristiano Ronaldo. If you put it into consideration, you will realise that age is also one of these important reasons.

At 33, the Portuguese has already entered the latter stages of his professional career. Although he has managed to keep himself at the top of his game over the past few seasons, we can expect him to start declining anytime soon.

Since ageing is a factor that no football has ever managed to overcome, Cristiano will also be affected by this - even if he manages to maintain such high levels of physical fitness and overall physique.

So, it's clear that they took a calculated step by ending their relationship with him on a high - before he starts to struggle under such high expectations in future.

#2 Transfer fee

Madrid had a great deal from various angles

Cristiano Ronaldo became the most expensive footballer in the world when he left Manchester United to join Real Madrid for £80 million in the summer of 2009. Even though he failed to repeat such a feat with his latest transfer to Juventus, the attacker still managed to set an amazing record with his switch to the Serie A.

With the £88 million that was paid to lure him away from the Spanish league, the attacker became the first player over 30 to cost up to (and in excess of) £80m in footballing history. In a world where age is considered seriously to determine players' fees, they have managed to sell their superstar at a high price.

If you subtract the fee Real paid Manchester United to sign Ronaldo in 2009 (£80m) from the amount that was paid by Juventus (£88m), you will also see that the club made a profit of £8m from the two deals. That, coupled with the enormous achievements the Portuguese international brought to Madrid, makes it a win-win situation for the La Liga giants.

#1 No more over-reliance on one superstar

The end of an era; the beginning of a new chapter

It is true that the Real Madrid side is filled with amazing talents across all areas of the pitch. The likes of Gareth Bale, Isco, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Sergio Ramos and Marcelo are all incredible superstars who form part of an intriguing all-star squad at the Santiago Bernabeú.

But, despite the team's quality, it was clear to see they relied heavily on Cristiano Ronaldo's brilliance in the final third to keep them rolling. Evidently, he was by far their standout player in the Champions League over the past five years.

Now that the Spanish giants have parted ways with their talismanic forward though, it gives them the opportunity to focus on the collective ability of their team, rather than having to depend upon the abilities of one superstar - especially with many already in their ranks.