"He knew when to push" - Jesus Vallejo explains why Cristiano Ronaldo exit left 'big void' at Real Madrid

Jesus Vallejo talks about Cristiano Ronaldo
Jesus Vallejo talks about Cristiano Ronaldo's time at Real Madrid

Jesus Vallejo has given his two cents on the impact Cristiano Ronaldo had during his time at Real Madrid, highlighting not only his influence on the pitch but also his remarkable professionalism behind the scenes.

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In an exclusive interview with The Athletic, Vallejo claimed Ronaldo’s departure from Real Madrid left a huge void that the club has struggled to fill – both in terms of goals and leadership. He said:

“It was hard enough with Cristiano’s departure because of his goals. There has been a big void that has taken time to replace. He was a leader not only on the pitch but also off the pitch. I have tried to copy some of his day-to-day routines.
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“He would arrive at the dressing room beforehand, (but) before training, he didn’t do much physical work. Afterwards, at home, he would do more strength work, but he prioritised the work on the pitch before. He knew when to push and when not to push. In that sense, he was very professional.”

Cristiano Ronaldo spent nine years at Real Madrid. During his time at the club, he redefined excellence, breaking records and setting new standards. He helped the club win a number of trophies, which include three successive Champions League titles, a feat yet to be matched by any other club.

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The Portuguese superstar left the club in 2018 as the all-time top scorer with 451 goals in 438 appearances across competitions. Notably, Jesus Vallejo and Cristiano Ronaldo shared the pitch together just four times at the Santiago Bernabeu.


How Cristiano Ronaldo fared at Real Madrid

Cristiano made a high-profile switch from Manchester United to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009 for a then world record fee of £80 million. His debut match was a memorable one, as he was on the scoresheet in the club’s 3-2 win in a LaLiga match against Deportivo La Coruna. He would go on to achieve a new feat by scoring in the next three league games, thus becoming the first Real Madrid player to do so. However, his first season with Los Blancos ended trophyless despite scoring 33 goals in all competitions.

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He took his number to a new level the following season, scoring 53 goals throughout the campaign, of which 40 were in LaLiga. In the process he became the first player to reach that milestone in the Spanish top flight. His goalscoring record continued to improve as he scored 60 across competitions in the 2011-12 season. He played a huge role in the club’s three successive UEFA Champions League triumphs between 2016 and 2018. His 17 goals scored in the 2013-14 Champions League campaign remains the most goals scored in a single Champions League season.

Simply put, Cristiano Ronaldo had an illustrious career at Real Madrid with an impressive trophy haul. He won four Champions League titles, three Intercontinental Cups, three UEFA Super Cups, two LaLiga titles, two Copa del Reys, and two Supercopa de Espana trophies.

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Edited by Nived Zenith
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