A director at one of Europe's biggest clubs has claimed that they rejected the opportunity to sign Cristiano Ronaldo because they "don't depend on social media followers".
Prior to the start of the 2022/23 season, Ronaldo made headlines for his attempts to leave his then-club Manchester United in search of UEFA Champions League football.
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The 38-year-old was reportedly offered to a long list of clubs across Europe's top five leagues, including Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich.
However, an exit never materialised at the time as teams opted against acquiring the veteran striker, with some citing footballing and financial reasons for declining the chance to bring him on board.
With Borussia Dortmund being among those clubs that were presented with the opportunity to sign Ronaldo, their managing director Carsten Cramer has now revealed why they were uninterested in the Real Madrid legend, who eventually joined Al Nassr as a free agent at the turn of the year.
"Basically, the value of Borussia Dortmund does not depend on social media followers," the executive told German publication Kicker.
"We are a football club, that's the key.
"We can have the best ideas in marketing, but if we lose 3-0 at home to Freiburg, it doesn't work.
"Even with the best brand presentation, the be-all and end-all is the product."
Ronaldo's former agent Jorge Mendes' failure to secure him a move in Europe is said to have resulted in the pair putting an end to their long-term relationship, with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner calling upon his friend Ricardo Regufe to secure him his mammoth Al Nassr deal, which is believed to be worth $75 million (R1.3 billion) a year.
Per L'Equipe, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's controversial interview with Piers Morgan in November was the last straw in his relationship with Mendes.
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"From Mendes' point of view, the interview [with Morgan] was a huge 'f*** off'," a source believed to be friends with both the player and the agent said, according to the French publication.
"It's like a divorce for him. It's like his wife were to dump him, and he even knows her lover."
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