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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Ben Burrows

Cristiano Ronaldo: Leaving Real Madrid was an easy decision

Cristiano Ronaldo says it was an "easy decision" to leave Real Madrid for Juventus this summer.

The Portuguese five-time Ballon d'Or winner swapped Spain for Italy in a £89m transfer earlier in the offseason in a move which stunned European football.

Ronaldo scored one of the greatest goals of his career against Juve - the overhead kick in the Champions League quarter-final first leg back in April - and he reveals the reaction he got from the home crowd that day played a part in him wanting to move.

"I never expected to play in this team, but some things happen naturally, for me it was an easy decision, what was done in Madrid is incredible, I won everything, my family lives there, but it's part of the past," he told DAZN.

"The small details make the big difference at the end of the day so. I would say what I saw in the stadium helped. And, of course, when the people start to applaud me in the stadium I was like: 'Wow'.

"It surprised me a lot because this has never happened in my life, so it was an unbelievable moment."

Juventus have won the European Cup only twice in their history compared to the five won by Ronaldo on his own and he says it his goal to help add to the Old Lady's tally in his time with the club.

"I want to try to write the story in this club," he added. "I want to win the Champions League with Juventus and we will do everything to win it.

"We'll focus on that, with my teammates, but without obsessing over it. We'll go step-by-step and then we'll see, if it's this year, next year or the year after that."

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