Ramon Calderon, the former Real Madrid president who secured Cristiano Ronaldo for a then-world record £80 million (nearly $107 million) in 2009, has revealed that he also desperately wanted Lionel Messi but knew from the start it was impossible. In an interview with A BOLA, Calderon reflected on one of football's great hypotheticals: the two greatest players of their generation playing together at the same club. He explained that geography, loyalty, and club politics made it a fantasy rather than a realistic plan.
Why Was Signing Messi Alongside Ronaldo Out of the Question?
Calderon did not sugarcoat the situation. Messi belonged to Barcelona, and the Catalan club had no interest in negotiating. The Argentine superstar was not seeking a move, and no amount of money or ambition from Madrid could change that. "I would have loved it, but it was impossible because Messi was at Barcelona and they would never have let him leave unless he took the initiative, like Cristiano did at Manchester United," Calderon told A BOLA. "But he was happy at Barca and therefore there was no possibility. It was a shame because bringing together the two best players in the world on the same team would have been fantastic." The key factor was initiative: Ronaldo made his desire to join Madrid known and sustained it over two years of quiet pressure. Messi never had that itch; he was home. Without that push from the player, no transfer was ever going to happen.
How Did Real Madrid Finally Land Cristiano Ronaldo?
Calderon was notably modest about his role in securing Ronaldo. He did not claim it as a personal triumph but rather saw it as a natural outcome: a player of Ronaldo's stature goes where he wants, and nothing Sir Alex Ferguson could do would stop him. "We were in negotiations for two years. Manchester United, naturally, didn't want him to leave, but the player wanted to go," Calderon explained. "It's well known that footballers like Cristiano end up going where they really want to go; it's impossible to hold them against their will. I insist, I was there and, as anyone else would have done, I seized the opportunity. At that moment, he was the best player in the world alongside Messi, and therefore, the most logical thing to do was to seize the opportunity to sign him with both hands." Ferguson's resistance was real but ultimately irrelevant once Ronaldo decided.
Was Ronaldo's Exit from Real Madrid in 2018 a Mistake?
Calderon believes it was, and he did not mince words. The relationship between Ronaldo and president Florentino Perez had been strained for years. When Juventus made a reported €100 million bid, Madrid accepted rather than fight for a player they perhaps undervalued. "I believe it was a mistake on both sides," Calderon said. "Certainly the relationship wasn't good from the beginning, then, over time, it deteriorated towards the end of his time here. I believe the president didn't think anyone would be able to pay 100 million euros, but yes, there was a club willing to do it, and then he had no other option but to accept the player's departure. The player never fully adapted to any club outside of Real Madrid, and Real Madrid was difficult because it's impossible to find someone like Cristiano." Juventus never recaptured what Ronaldo produced at Madrid, and neither side came out of the deal well, Calderon implied.
