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Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has looked back on the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United. He has called the transfer a “winning bet.” Real Madrid spent a whopping €94 million in the summer of 2009 to bring Cristiano Ronaldo to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s record-breaking transfer put him under the microscope, but the Portuguese thrived under pressure in Spain. Ronaldo was Real Madrid’s knight in shining armor for nine long seasons, helping Los Blancos to four Champions League titles and two La Ligas. Over the course of his Real Madrid career, Ronaldo scored 451 goals in 438 appearances, emerging as the club’s all-time top goalscorer.
Starting out as a left-winger, Ronaldo gradually transitioned into a world-class goalscorer at Real Madrid. He could score tap-ins in his sleep, regularly netted long-rangers, and high-pressure penalties were no big deal either. Between 2009 and 2018, Ronaldo was the perfect talisman for Real Madrid, winning four Ballons d’Or in the process.
Current president Florentino Perez hails Cristiano Ronaldo as his marquee transfer. However, Calderon has often reinstated the fact that it was his board that finalized the deal. Calderon has stated that he had to convince Manchester United to let Ronaldo go, but admitted CR7's determination was crucial in finalizing the deal.
Speaking to Mundo Deportivo in Italy, Calderon called Ronaldo’s Real Madrid transfer an undoubted success and the club’s cheapest hit.
He said:
"Based on the results obtained, both personally and collectively, having brought Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid was a winning bet and an undoubted success. But I had no merit, I did what any president would have done in my place. It was a success. It was a unique opportunity that we could not miss and, although it was not easy to convince Manchester , the player's decision made things much easier. United was excessive, but hey, it turned out to be the cheapest hit in our history. "
Cristiano Ronaldo could have been a Real Madrid player in 2008 itself
Had it not been for Sir Alex Ferguson, Cristiano Ronaldo probably would have ended up at Real Madrid a year sooner than he originally joined. In 2008, Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon openly said that Ronaldo would be a Real Madrid player one day, which angered Ferguson.
As per his autobiography, Ferguson persuaded Ronaldo to stay for another year, saying he would only let him leave for a record fee next year. Florentino Perez replaced Calderon as president and Real Madrid came to United with a world-record offer for Ronaldo. Ferguson fulfilled his promise by approving the deal and letting the Portuguese leave for Madrid in the summer of 2009.
