Ronaldo reveals how he came to leave Inter for Real Madrid in 2002 | OneFootball

Before Cristiano there was another Ronaldo tearing it up for Real Madrid – Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima.

The Brazilian legend moved to the Bernabeu from Inter in 2002 and went on to score 104 goals in 177 games for Los Blancos.

And the 43-year-old – who is now president of Real Valladolid – has now revealed how he came to swap Milan for Madrid.

“I loved Inter very much, I was very comfortable in Milan, I had an unconditional love of the whole city, maybe all of Italy, but with the coach we had I couldn’t continue,” he told DAZN Italy.

“It was the only time I spoke with [Massimo] Moratti and said: ‘President, I cannot continue with this coach. Either you send him home or I go.’

“Unfortunately, on the one hand, because the story with Inter ended there in a very ugly way, he chose [Héctor] Cúper before me.

“On the other hand, the luck is that a new story began: the story with Real Madrid.”

Ronaldo says he only wanted to join Real Madrid, where he would link up with his Brazilian international colleague Roberto Carlos.

“I went to Madrid because I wanted to play in Madrid,” he said.

“My dream was to play one day in Madrid and I fought until the last moment to come. I had Roberto Carlos in the team that told me everything that Madrid represented and what he lived in Madrid. That left me curious and after years I wanted to see with my own eyes.

“I went to Madrid and the truth is that it is much bigger than what Roberto said and what I could imagine.

“Madrid, wherever it goes, is Real Madrid. There is great expectation, great pressure. Also, of course, because they are the best players in the world.

“I loved knowing that it was that big and that I could help this club to be even bigger.”

The double World Cup winner’s time in Madrid proved to be something of a disappointment in terms of trophies won, however.

During his five years at the club he won just one LaLiga title, the 2002 Intercontinental Cup and the 2003 Supercopa de España.

However, he will always be fondly remembered as being part of the famous galácticos generation.

“There was a lot of expectation in this group of galácticos that in the end we gave a lot of spectacle,” he said.

“It was a winning generation, which has changed the way of doing business within football.

“Since then all teams have generated more money, players have sold better … there was the great change of the new era of football.”