Cristiano Ronaldo made a revelation that left the football world in shock – he was On the verge of joining Barcelona Before he makes his historical move to Manchester United 2003. Speaks in an interview with The beach barThe Portuguese icon reminded of how Barca showed a serious interest in him while he was still at Sports CP. However, fate had other plans, and Ronaldo stopped signing for Manchester UnitedWhere he would become one of the best players in football history.
For fans who have seen His legendary rivalry with Barcelona During his Real Madrid -Year the idea of Ronaldo in a Blaugrana shirt is almost unimaginable. But according to the five times the Ballon D’Or winner, things could have turned out very differently had Barcelona acted faster.
Right now 18 years oldPortuguese Essen already made waves in his home country with sporty CP. His performances had received attention to European clubsIncluding Barcelona. In his interview, Ronaldo confirmed: “Yes, it was when I played at Sporting Lisbon, and I had the opportunity to join various clubs, one of which was Barcelona,” He revealed.
The foreman further stated that negotiations with Barcelona happened behind the scenesBut there was a catch: “I remember I was with a person from Barcelona who wanted to sign me, but it didn’t happen. Maybe they wanted to take me in, but it would have been the following year. Then a club like Manchester United came in and signed me immediately. You know how fast everything moves in football, ” he added.
Then the Catalans built one Golden generationWith stars like Ronaldinho, Xavi and a young Lionel Messi begins to emerge. Had Ronaldo joined, he could have formed a devastating attacking partnership With Ronaldinho while he potentially played with Messi in the coming years.
Why did Ronaldo Manchester United choose Barcelona?
The reason Ronaldo did not join Barcelona was simple –Manchester United acted faster. Unlike this Spanish side, which planned to sign him and Loan him back to Sporting Lisbon for another yearUnited wanted him immediately.
Sir Alex Ferguson had followed Ronaldo close and was so impressed by his performance against United in a friendly That he made it a priority to sign him. Just a few days later, Manchester United completed a deal of EUR 19 millionto make him The most expensive teenager in Premier League history at that time.
Ronaldo’s love-hate relationship with Barcelona
Even though he never played for Barcelona has Ronaldo Always had a special connection to Camp Nou—But not in the way that Blaugrana fans would have wanted. He loved to play there, often points The classic battles.
“I loved playing at Camp Nou. Every time I went on the pitch I was booed, but I preferred to do there more than on Bernabeu“ Ronaldo admitted in an interview with Ball. His intense battles with messi And Barcelona defined an era, which made his latest recognition even more surprising.
Loading…
