In a preseason friendly on Wednesday against Numancia, some Atletico Madrid fans voiced their strong opinions over a potential deal for Cristiano Ronaldo. In order to play Champions League football in 2022–2023, Ronaldo has informed Manchester United that he wants to leave, and a return to Madrid with Atletico would meet his needs. The former Real Madrid player, though, has been described as “practically impossible” to sign, and Atletico’s followers have already expressed their unhappiness.
The 37-year-old spent nine seasons starring at Atletico’s local rivals, including scoring for Real Madrid in the 2014 Champions League final against the Rojoblancos. Atletico’s International Union of Fan Clubs (Union Internacional de Penas Atletico de Madrid) has also released a statement, warning of their displeasure should there be any truth to the Ronaldo rumours.
The statement read: “In light of the possibility of signing Cristiano Ronaldo, if it is more than a simple rumour without any basis, we express our absolute rejection of his hypothetical joining of our club. “The aforementioned player represents the antithesis of the values that constitute the hallmarks of our Atleti, such as the effort, generosity, modesty and humility of those who want to defend our values. “Even in the highly unlikely hypothetical case that a player in steep decline such as Cristiano Ronaldo could guarantee us a trophy, we wouldn’t accept his signing. The sense of being a part of our Atletico feeling isn’t within his reach, unfortunately for him, and as such he could never receive our affection or recognition. “As such, we ask the club to reject his possible signing, if it has indeed been considered at any time.”