Ronaldo gives his word to Juventus
08 July, 2018
Forbes says that Cristiano Ronaldo is the third highest paid sportsman in the world thanks to his sporting income (61 million euros per year) and advertising (47m), and that's what Juventus will be buying into after he gave the Italian club his word that he would join them.
The Portuguese striker's sponsorships are only surpassed by boxer Floyd Mayweather.
An industry all on his own, Ronaldo cares very little that Real Madrid contributes 21, 25 or 30m net per year, and he isn't leaving, if his transfer to Juventus is finally completed, for a good handful of euros.
He has decided to leave the club on a matter of respect, of what he understands to be a clear disregard for his stature.
For the fact that the club didn't attend to what was promised by Florentino Perez while doing numbers for Neymar.
The straw that broke his patience was the reduction of his release clause from 1,000 to 100m euros, which he interpreted as an affront.
A very low amount in a market that had lost its sanity after the transfer of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain for 222m.
In that scenario, Juventus appeared.
Cristiano, impressed by the treatment of the fans of Juventus Stadium, by the size of the Italian club and to face the challenge of making a European champion of the transalpine team, gave the yes to Andrea Agnelli.
He didn't sign but gave his word, that in its concept means the same. Ronaldo doesn't need any signature to go ahead with the pre-agreement reached with the Serie A champion.
In the context of such an inflationary market, in which, for example, Barcelona paid Dortmund 105m euros plus 40m in variables for Ousmane Dembele, the signing of the top scorer in the history of Real Madrid and the Champions League was a bargain.
Lately, Liverpool have made a supposed offer of 180m euros for Marco Asensio...
Juventus, who want to transfer Higuain to Chelsea for 60 million, couldn't believe the 100m, a figure that can still go up until the transfer is closed definitively.
The contrast
If the relationship between Florentino and Cristiano is at its worst after nine seasons of wear and tear in a coexistence between two powerful personalities, two superlative egos that have only been endured for the good of Madrid, Agnelli and Cristiano have begun in the best way possible.
There were numerous phone calls from the president of Juve, and in Italy they suggest up to 28 times.
Ronaldo was impressed with the treatment and deference of the leader, and with the desire shown when recruiting him.
He was captivated by the respect, as if Juventus were a humbler club.
Cristiano, and only Cristiano, was the man called to make Juve, who had been on the verge of conquering the Champions League in recent years, bigger.
Ronaldo was to be the player in charge of pushing Juventus, King's of Italy, to climb that final step.
All that that has led him to leave Madrid found him suddenly in Turin, but it's not exactly for more money, because Madrid have now equalled Juve's offer of 30 million euros net per year.
Word that is law
The Italian challenge seduced him from the start and he committed himself. His word is law.
After it became feasible that Ronaldo could leave Madrid for 100 million euros, other European clubs contacted Jorge Mendes to convey their interest in his availability and to address the signing.
But the player had already given his word to Juventus.
He didn't want to listen to anyone else, although he always had the hope of a total turnaround, of a great Madrid gesture that didn't happen after the telephone conversation between his representative and Jose Angel Sanchez, the club's general director.
Date unknown
Ronaldo has gone on vacation thinking that he will return to Madrid to finish the move before arriving in Turin. His new start is about to begin.