Is the great one also the cursed one?
Juventus No.7 Cristiano Ronaldo is no unknown to football fans. He is one of the greatest footballers of all time. For the entirety of the last decade, he and his eternal rival Messi have dominated the football world.
The Pair have shared 9 Ballon D’or awards between them during the last decade. Ronaldo has accomplished everything in his fairy-tale career. The Juventus forward has everything bar a World Cup in his trophy cabinet, which according to me, is out Portugal’s capabilities.
Despite all of Cristiano’s brilliance, there seems to be a curse following his old clubs- the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United. No matter how potent and successful his previous clubs are, it all falls apart as soon as he leaves. The clubs he played for seems to have lost their aura ever since he left.
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In that illustrious career, Ronaldo has played for 4 different clubs, and he is still going strong for Juventus in Serie A. Here below is the tale of his previous clubs and their agony:
#1 Sporting CP
Sporting was Cristiano’s first club in professional football. When Ronaldo first came to Sporting, he was just 12 years old. He played for their various youth teams before making his senior debut in 2002/03. At Sporting, he was a winger, and he was way too far from the goalscoring phenomenon he today is.
Cristiano scored 5 goals in 31 appearances for Sporting before leaving for united in 2003. Before Ronaldo played for Sporting, they were 18 times Premiera Liga Champions, but since Sporting haven’t won the league once. They have had years of financial troubles and mismanagement.
#2 Manchester United
When Ronaldo joined Manchester United in 2003, they already had 15 first division titles in England and 1 Champions League. Cristiano helped them reach even greater heights, winning 3 more Premier League titles and another Champions League in 2008. He left United for Madrid in 2009 for a then world-record transfer fee of £80m. Ever Since Ronaldo left, United have struggled and it has been a nightmare for the club. They have played some torrid football. Now, they aren’t even in the Champions League.
#3 Real Madrid
Cristiano arrived in Madrid in 2009, and it was one hell of a ride for both the player and the club. In Ronaldo’s 9 years at the club, they enjoyed unparalleled success. Madrid won 2 La Liga titles bringing their all-time count to 33. Even more impressively, the club won 4 Champions League in his 9 years at the club including an unprecedented 3 in a row. Ronaldo left Real Madrid for Juventus in summer 2018. Ever since he left, Real Madrid have scuffled, they were knocked out of the champions league in the round of 16 for the first time in 9 years.
Right now, Ronaldo is plying his trade in Turin with Juventus, a team that has won every single Serie A title for the last 8 years along with 2 Champions League final appearances in that time frame. Only time will tell what happens to them when he leaves.
Which Cristiano Ronaldo highlight sticks out the most in your mind?