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What's the story?
Real Madrid defender Marcelo has revealed that his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo told him he was leaving the Bernabeu before the UEFA Champions League final against Liverpool last May.
In case you didn't know...
Ronaldo ended his nine-year association with Los Blancos last summer when he decided to take on a new challenge with Italian giants Juventus in the Serie A.
The staggering €100 million transfer shocked fans across the globe as they did not expect to see the Portuguese talisman leave in the same summer as manager Zinedine Zidane.
During his stint with the European champions, Ronaldo established himself as the club's all-time top scorer, netting 451 goals in 438 games for the side.
The former Blancos star continues his goal-scoring exploits in Italy, where he has scored 20 goals for the Bianconeri in all competitions so far this season.
Since Ronaldo's move to Turin, Marcelo has been heavily linked with a reunion with his former teammate at Juventus, but it appears the defender has no plans to leave the Bernabeu just yet.
The heart of the matter
While Ronaldo's transfer came as a shock to all, Marcelo has revealed that he has known about it before the Champions League final in Kiev.
Speaking to Brazilian news outlet Esporte Interativo (via The Mirror UK), Marcelo said, "Damn, we were training for the final and he told me: 'I'm leaving'."
The defender appears to have kept the big secret to himself as the interviewer accused the Blancos star of lying to him about the exit last year.
"Yes, I had to lie [that I didn't know at the time]."
What's next?
While Real Madrid are closing in on Barcelona in La Liga, the side will shift their focus to the Champions League where they are set to face Ajax in the Round of 16.
