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Joan Laporta spoke about Barcelona missing out on Cristiano Ronaldo in 2004 and claimed that he does not regret it. The Catalan side went on to sign Ronaldinho, Rafa Marquez and Quaresma instead.
Speaking to Iniestazo in 2021, Laporta said that Barcelona were offered Ronaldo for less than what he was moving to Manchester United. He recalled that they had to pay €2 million less for the Portuguese superstar, but they opted to invest elsewhere. He said via GiveMeSport:
"We were about to sign Ronaldinho and Rafa Marquez. Marquez's people proposed Cristiano Ronaldo to us. He was at Sporting at the time. One of his agents said that they had a player who they had sold to [Manchester] United for €19 million, but they'd sell him to us for €17 million. But we had already invested in Ronaldinho at the time. Cristiano played more out wide than in the centre. We thought we were covered, so we rejected him and I don't regret it."
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Cristiano Ronaldo faced Barcelona 34 times in his club career with Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus. He scored 20 goals in those games, while assisting thrice in the 10 wins and 15 losses.
Barcelona's president questioned Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Saudi Arabia
Joan Laporta was on CNN in 2023 and questioned Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Saudi Arabia. He claimed that no player moves to the Middle East for sporting reasons and said:
"Fortunately, most of the players like Football Club Barcelona. They like our club for the way that we manage the club, for the kind of players that we had in the past and in the present. And when a player, and with all respect, prefers to go to Saudi Arabia, basically there are no sporting reasons. You know, there are other reasons that are the priority. And the football must be the priority – the sporting reasons must be the priority."
However, he added that the government was building something and said:
"I respect the decisions of the Saudi government that, you know, incorporate talented players. Football is a team sport. Of course, the talented players help us to promote this sport and to make the fans happy because the talent is the talent, but … the team is the priority."
Cristiano Ronaldo has been with Al Nassr since 2022, when his contract terminated at Manchester United. He was linked with an exit this summer but has now agreed to a new deal.
