#360view: Real right to give club legend Ronaldo new deal

Andy West 20:05 07/11/2016
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  • Ronaldo is Real's record goalscorer.

    There’s a very simple answer to the question of whether Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo have done the right thing in extending the superstar forward’s contract until 2021: yes, of course it is the correct decision.

    Firstly, let’s examine it from the club’s perspective. Ronaldo is Madrid’s all-time leading goalscorer with 371 goals in 360 games; he is also the Champions League’s record goalscorer; he has scored at least 50 goals every season for the last six in a row; and he has won every major title with Madrid since joining from Manchester United in 2009, including two Champions League crowns.

    What more could he possibly have done to have persuaded the club to stick with him?

    Although he’s not playing well at present, failing to score in any of his last five games at the Bernabeu, the chances of this being the start of a significant decline are heavily outweighed by the probability that it is a temporary blip and that he’ll come back as strong as ever sooner rather than later.

    The only viable reason to offload him would be if he was starting to show signs of physical deterioration, but that certainly does not appear to be the case.

    Ronaldo’s condition has always been one of his greatest assets and he’s looking as fit as ever in every respect. And with him changing as a player in the last few years, becoming more of a penalty-box predator than a box-to-box raider, there’s no reason to think he won’t be in excellent shape when his new contract expires in five years.

    Off the pitch, Ronaldo is also a vital presence in terms of marketing and as the face of the club. Alongside his personal arch rival Lionel Messi, he remains the most famous and commercially viable footballer in the world, and the revenue earned purely by Ronaldo’s presence through shirt sales, sponsorship and broadcasting deals will go a long way towards paying his salary.

    The other question, of course, is whether Ronaldo has done the right thing to stay in Madrid when he could probably have jumped ship to Paris Saint-Germain or his old club Manchester United, who would have no doubt paid him just as much as he will be earning in Spain, if not more. But why would he do that? Going back to Manchester would be a very risky strategy considering the unrealistic expectations it would generate – as they say, never go back – while moving to Paris would represent a definite drop in playing standards, which for a relentlessly ambitious performer like Ronaldo is not a serious option to contemplate.

    Ronaldo is probably as happy in Madrid as he could ever be at any club. The demands he places upon himself and everyone around him means that he will never be entirely happy anywhere, and the outbreaks of frustration we occasionally see are inevitable. But generally, Real could not treat him any better. Within the club he is untouchable, and is also greatly respected by a set of fans never slow to express negative feelings.

    Staying at the Bernabeu for another few years will allow him to further cement his legacy as one of the club’s greatest ever players, and that is surely what he will now do.

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