Cristiano Ronaldo: Real Madrid President sets record straight over club-record goalscorer relationship
Real Madrid President Florentino Perez has opened up about his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo with relation to claims pinpointing him as the leading figure that prompted the club record goalscorer to depart for Juventus. Perez denied that Real's refusal to help the player pay debts to the tax authorities contributed to his departure after the UEFA Champions League final in 2018. "I think he already had it quite clear that he wanted new challenges," Perez said on 'El Transistor' on Onda Cero when asked about the timing of the exit. "He used that moment to say it, but I think he'd been thinking about it for some time. He never created any problems during the nine years at Real Madrid, never once arriving late or anything. "I think he's the best player I signed for Real Madrid. I always had a great relationship with him. "We never had any problems, not even over money. We never talked about his [tax] debt."