Brazilian football legend Ronaldo Nazário has opened up about why he left Barcelona in 1997.
The former striker, who went on to join Real Madrid, revealed that Barcelona did not value him the way he expected.
Reflecting on his early career exit from Barcelona, Ronaldo shared his thoughts in an interview with DAZN. He explained why he made the move to Los Blancos, saying:
“I was about to sign my contract extension after the season ended and then went to Brazil on vacation. Five days later, they called me to tell me the extension couldn’t happen. It was never my decision; I wanted to stay.
“If the club didn’t value me as they should have, it wasn’t my choice. I would’ve loved to stay, but as I said, it wasn’t up to me.
“I joined Madrid because I simply wanted to play there. My dream was always to play for Madrid, and I worked hard to make it happen. Roberto Carlos, who was with me in the national team, constantly told me about what Real Madrid meant for everyone. That left a strong impression on me, and after a few years, I wanted to experience it myself.
“The truth is, it’s an even bigger club than he told me! There’s huge expectation and a lot of pressure because we always have the world’s best players. I loved knowing that I could help make Real Madrid an even bigger club.”
During his time at Barcelona, Ronaldo played 49 games, scoring 47 goals and providing 13 assists. He later went on to play 177 matches for Real Madrid, netting 103 goals and registering 34 assists.
