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The football world has spent nearly two decades debating the greatest of all time, and at one point, there was even speculation about whether Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could have played together at Real Madrid.
Former Los Blancos president Ramon Calderon has now revealed whether the club ever seriously considered the possibility of uniting the two icons at the Santiago Bernabeu. "I would have loved it, but it was impossible because Messi was at Barcelona and they would never have let him leave unless he took the initiative, like Cristiano did at Manchester United. But he was happy at Barca, and therefore, there was no possibility. It was a shame because bringing together the two best players in the world on the same team would have been fantastic," Calderon said as per Goal.com. Calderon said Real Madrid had been in negotiations for around two years to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United. He explained that while United did not want to let him leave, Ronaldo's desire to join Madrid made the transfer possible. Calderon added that, given Ronaldo's status as one of the world's best players alongside Lionel Messi at the time, signing him was seen as a major opportunity that the club could not miss. "We were in negotiations for two years. Manchester United, naturally, didn't want him to leave, but the player wanted to go. It's well known that footballers like Cristiano end up going where they really want to go; it's impossible to hold them against their will. I insist, I was there and, as anyone else would have done, I seized the opportunity. At that moment, he was the best player in the world alongside Messi, and therefore, the most logical thing to do was to seize the opportunity to sign him with both hands," Calderon explained. Despite the unprecedented success Ronaldo achieved at Real Madrid, Ramon Calderon believes his departure in 2018 was a mistake for all parties involved. He suggested that tensions between the Portuguese forward and club president Florentino Perez had strained relations, ultimately paving the way for Ronaldo's record-breaking move to Juventus, where he was unable to match the heights he reached in Spain. "I believe it was a mistake on both sides. Certainly, the relationship wasn't good from the beginning, then, over time, it deteriorated towards the end of his time here. I believe the president didn't think anyone would be able to pay 100 million euros, but yes, there was a club willing to do it, and then he had no other option but to accept the player's departure. The player never fully adapted to any club outside of Real Madrid, and Real Madrid was difficult because it's impossible to find someone like Cristiano," Calderon concluded. (ANI)
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