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Calderon talks about the difficult desire and mistake of Ronaldo and Perez
The footballing world has spent nearly two decades debating who is the greatest of all time, but the idea of seeing Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the same shirt once seemed plausible for Real Madrid.
Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has revealed whether the club really believed in the possibility of bringing these two giants together at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The dream of historical dualism… the bitter dispute
Calderon was behind Ronaldo’s move to Real Madrid in 2009. At the time, the club broke the transfer record by signing the Portuguese from Manchester United for £80 million ($107 million). While Ronaldo was a top target for Real Madrid, the presence of his eternal rival Messi dominated Spanish football during his brilliantly remarkable spell at Barcelona.
Calderon admitted that he dreamed of uniting the two stars in one club that would represent the pinnacle of athletic achievement. However, facing the reality of the rivalry made this dream nearly impossible given the bitter historical feud between Spain’s two biggest clubs.
Why was Messi’s move to Madrid impossible?
Speaking about the possibility of signing the Argentine legend in a huge deal, Calderon was candid about the obstacles standing in his way. The political and emotional ties to Catalonia meant that any attempt by Madrid would be immediately rejected, and so these two icons remained on opposite sides throughout their heyday.
Calderon told the Portuguese “Apola” newspaper. “I had high hopes for it but it was impossible because Messi is at Barcelona and they won’t let him leave unless he takes the initiative like Cristiano did at Manchester United.
“Messi was happy at Barcelona, so there was no chance. It was unfortunate because it would be great to have the best players in the world in one team.”
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Long way to get Ronaldo
While Messi remained elusive, the process of signing Ronaldo was a tedious saga that spanned several seasons. Calderon insists credit for the deal is down to the club’s stance and not personal negotiating skills, noting the Portuguese legend decided to leave Old Trafford for the Bernabeu despite opposition from Hams manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Calderon explained. “The negotiations between us continued for two years. Naturally, Manchester United didn’t want him to leave, but the player was determined to do it.”
“It is known that players like Cristiano eventually go where they really want, it is impossible to force them to stay against their will. I confirm that I was present, and as anyone would do, I took advantage of the opportunity. At that moment, the best player in the world was at Messi’s side, so it was logical to take the opportunity and stick to his contract.”
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A chaotic exit… life after Madrid
Despite Ronaldo’s unprecedented success in a Manchester United shirt, Calderon believes the 2018 split between him and Real Madrid was a mistake on all sides.
Reports suggest that the Portuguese star’s relationship with current president Florentino Perez has soured, eventually leading to his record-breaking move to Juventus, where he has failed to recapture the brilliance he achieved in Spain.
Calderon continued by saying: “I think it was a mistake on both sides. The relationship was certainly not good to begin with and then deteriorated over time towards the end of his stay here. I think the president didn’t think any club would be able to pay 100 million euros, but yes, there was a club that was willing to do it and he had no choice but to accept the player.”
The former president of “Real Madrid” concluded. “Ronaldo did not fully adapt to any club from Real Madrid, and on the other hand, it was impossible to find a player like Cristiano in Real Madrid.
