LONDON: Cristiano Ronaldo鈥檚 discontent with Real Madrid has reached a point where 鈥渉e doesn鈥檛 even want to talk to the president鈥�, Florentino Perez. According to sources close to the most successful footballer in the Spanish club鈥檚 history, Ronaldo has been angered by Madrid鈥檚 failure to deliver an improved contract.
Despite cementing his status as the game鈥檚 best player by leading Madrid to a Liga, Champions League and Club World Cup treble this year while collecting back-to-back World Player of the Year awards, Ronaldo has seen his salary eclipsed by Lionel Messi and Neymar. His argument is that on-field achievements should be correctly reflected in his contractual terms 鈥� particularly as his commercial value to Madrid is superior to that of the two South Americans.
Ronaldo has also complained to friends of a lack of respect on the part of Madrid鈥檚 president in publicly flirting with Neymar on the night the Portugal international collected the fifth Ballon d鈥橭r of his career.
鈥淏eing in Madrid would make it easier to win the Ballon d鈥橭r,鈥� said Perez of Neymar earlier this month.鈥漅eal Madrid is a club which gives all you need as a big player, everyone knows that I already wanted to sign him at one point.鈥�
Madrid lost a high-stakes bidding war to Barcelona when Perez failed to persuade Neymar to leave Santos for the Spanish capital in 2013. Although the Brazil international exploited a 鈧�222 million ($263 million) release clause to join Paris Saint-Germain last summer, Neymar鈥檚 father has encouraged Madrid to renew their pursuit of the 25-year-old 鈥� a move Ronaldo鈥檚 camp is aware of.
Currently in his ninth season at Madrid, Ronaldo has reset a host of national, European and global records while scoring 422 goals for the club. The 32-year-old has stated his intention to play into 40s and aims to be recognized as the greatest footballer of all time.
After deciding last weekend鈥檚 Club World Cup Final with the only goal in a 1-0 defeat of Gremio, Ronaldo deliberately placed public pressure on Perez to improve his financial terms by stating a desire to finish his career at the Santiago Bernabeu 鈥� if conditions were correct. 鈥淚 would really like to, but things don鈥檛 depend on me,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat depends on me is what I do on the pitch. I am not the one who runs the club, that is for those in charge. My job is on the pitch and I think I am doing it well, the rest I can鈥檛 control.鈥�
Formally agreed in November 2016, Ronaldo鈥檚 current contract runs until the summer of 2021 and is understood to include a guaranteed gross salary of 鈧�48 million a year. That figure had been surpassed twice this year. First, by PSG鈥檚 summer deal with Neymar, then by the belated formalization of Messi鈥檚 hugely improved Barca contract. The Argentina international became the first footballer to be rewarded contract with a contract said to be worth an annual 鈧�50 million after-tax.
Ronaldo鈥檚 situation is further complicated by an ongoing dispute with the Spanish government over an alleged 鈧�14.7 million of unpaid tax. The player denies evading tax or hiding details of his income and argues that he has been targeted because of his celebrity. 鈥淚f I wasn鈥檛 called Cristiano Ronaldo, I wouldn鈥檛 be sat here,鈥� he said in a court appearance earlier this year.
Discussions between club and player over improved terms took place at the end of last season. Asked about a renewal ahead of Saturday鈥檚 3-0 loss to Barcelona, Madrid coach Zinedine Zidance said: 鈥淲hat I think is that Cristiano, what he has done and what he is doing, deserves all of the club鈥檚 respect, but only after the winter break will we talk about it.鈥�