DUBAI: Atletico Madrid fans expressed their rejection of any move by their club to sign Cristiano Ronaldo by displaying a “CR7 Not Welcome” banner during a friendly match on Wednesday.
During Atletico Madrid’s friendly against third-level side Club Deportivo Numancia, fans protested about the rumor linking Ronaldo to Atleti by posting a huge white-banner that read “CR7 Not Welcome.”
The banner could be clearly seen behind one of the goals during the match that ended with Atletico Madrid beating Numancia 4-0, Spanish media reported.
During this year’s summer transfer window, the 37-year-old Portuguese forward, who has played for 19 consecutive years in the Champions League, has been linked with Roma, Napoli, PSG, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and most recently with Atletico Madrid.
The major foes of CR7’s former club, Real Madrid, Atleti have become the latest possible destination and probably the most credible due to the strong ties between Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes and the club.
No serious bids or official contracts have been presented by the other clubs to Ronaldo, who seems to have been rejected by many European giant clubs so far.
During his near decade-long tenure at Real Madrid, Ronaldo won two Champions League finals against Atletico, a result that clearly irritates Atleti fans.
Meanwhile, when he played for Juventus in 2019 during their 16th-round first-leg match against Atletico and lost 2-0, Portugal’s captain infuriated Atleti fans further with his famous media statement: “I won five Champions Leagues and these guys zero.”
In the second leg, CR7 went on to score a hat trick that saw Juventus eliminate Atletico on a 3–2 aggregate.
In a recent statement, Atletico Madrid’s President Enrique Cerezo seemed to rule out any potential transfer for Ronaldo when he said it was “practically impossible.”
“Rumors are rumors and should remain such, because if they continue increasing, they will seem real, which they’re not,” Cerezo told Spanish media.
In a similarly censorious move, Atletico Madrid fans’ group issued an official statement on Tuesday expressing their objection to signing the 37-year-old.
Dubbed as ‘Union Internacional de Penas Atletico de Madrid,’ the group’s statement strongly expressed the fans’ disapproval of any potential move for Ronaldo.
Not seeming to have taken lightly the rumors linking Ronaldo with Atletico, fans called him ‘a player in steep decline.’
“In light of the possibility that signing Cristiano Ronaldo is more than a simple rumor without basis, we express our absolute rejection of his hypothetical joining of our club,” the statement said.
“The aforementioned player represents the antithesis of the values that constitute the foundation of our Atleti, such as the effort, generosity, modesty and humility of those who want to defend our values.”
Bayern Munich’s CEO Oliver Kahn said on Wednesday that signing Ronaldo was not likely during the summer transfer market as he did not fit the club’s “philosophy.”
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia caused shockwaves last week amid international media reports that an unnamed club in the country offered about $300 million to sign Ronaldo on a two-year deal.
The 37-year-old has missed Manchester United’s pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia due to “family reasons” and has also informed the club of his desire to leave this summer for the right offer.
On Monday, Ronaldo returned to Manchester to hold talks with United over his future, but no official resolution has been reached between the club and the player.