Juventus attacker Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed that he left Real Madrid over the summer because his position at the club had changed significantly.
The 33-year-old joined the Italian champions for €100 million (£88m/$115.8m) on a four-year-contract back in July, which brought to an end his nine-year spell in Madrid.
Los Blancos won three successive Champions League titles during his final few seasons at the club, but behind the scenes, their all-time record goalscorer was not happy with how he was being treated.
Ronaldo discussed his relationship with club president Florentino Perez, which turned sour despite the team’s on-field success, in an interview with France Football.
He said; “I felt within the club, especially from the president, that I was no longer considered in the same way as I was at the beginning,” the Juventus talisman began.
“For the first four or five years, I felt like Cristiano Ronaldo. Less so after.
“The president looked at me in a way that suggested I was no longer indispensable if you know what I mean. That is what made me think about leaving.”
Zinedine Zidane was first to leave the Bernabeu this summer, resigning just days after the team secured the 2018 Champions League with a 3-1 win final victory against Liverpool and Ronaldo admitted that his departure influenced his own final decision.