Ronaldo: 'I'll not stay at Real forever'
Posted Thursday, April 29, 2010 by theguardian.com
Cristiano Ronaldo is planning for life after Real Madrid.
Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed he is planning a future away from the Bernabéu.
The Portuguese winger moved to Madrid from Manchester United for a world-record transfer fee of £80m last summer, but says he will not spend the rest of his career with the club.
"Football is all about cycles. I believe that you are in teams for cycles. If you have already won everything with a team you have to change and that's what happened to me with United.
"I wanted a different football and different goals and I am very happy to have taken this decision. Alex Ferguson understood my decision. I continue to talk to him. I spent several years wanting to play in Madrid. But I don't see myself here at 40. You are in teams for cycles."
Despite spending over £200m last summer following president Florentino Perez's return, Madrid and Ronaldo face the prospect of ending the year without a trophy. They are a point behind Barcelona with four games left to play but Ronaldo has reiterated his belief that Madrid will pip the defending champions to the title.
And to that end the Portugal international hopes compatriot Jose Mourinho can do them a favour by defeating Barça in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final, with Internazionale currently leading 3-1.
"It will be an incredible game," Ronaldo said. "It will be difficult for both of them. Barça has to come back and Inter have to defend the two goals. I would prefer Barça to lose and be eliminated. I am from Real Madrid and I like my club and if Barcelona crash out of Europe it would be something that could affect them in the league and which we could take advantage of.
"It would be a bad year if we don't win the league because a club like this has to always win something every year. Not winning this year wouldn't be a failure, but it would be a lost year. But I am confident we can win the league."
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