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Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has said that Cristiano Ronaldo has earned “a special place in the history” of the club after deciding to leave for Juventus in a staggering £88m move.
Ronaldo won four Champions Leagues in an unprecedented period of success at Real, but had a turbulent relationship with president Florentino Perez.
And the club revealed shortly after news of the transfer broke that Ronaldo had “expressed a desire” to quit for Real.
Show all 7 1 /7Cristiano Ronaldo's finest European performances Cristiano Ronaldo's finest European performances Cristiano Ronaldo's finest European performances Here are the moments at Real Madrid when he has bent the biggest European nights his way.
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Cristiano Ronaldo's finest European performances 29 April 2014 vs Bayern Munich It feels strange looking back four years on but Real Madrid had a desperate quest for their 10th Champions League title – la Decima – and many backed Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich to knock them out in the 2014 semis. But Real won 1-0 at home and when the teams returned to the Allianz Arena, Guardiola made a fatal miscalculation, leaving his team too open. So Ronaldo destroyed them on the break, scoring twice in a 4-0 win to send Real through to the Lisbon final.
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Cristiano Ronaldo's finest European performances 24 May 2014 vs Atletico Madrid It was not his best performance as Real Madrid struggled to break down a tenacious Atletico Madrid side who came within seconds of winning. But even then Ronaldo was there at the end, scoring the confirming fourth goal from the penalty spot, running away with his shirt off. By winning the European Cup in his homeland, and providing the defiing image, he had made it his night.
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Cristiano Ronaldo's finest European performances 12 April 2016 vs Wolfsburg It was not his best performance as Real Madrid struggled to break down a tenacious Atletico Madrid side who came within seconds of winning. But even then Ronaldo was there at the end, scoring the confirming fourth goal from the penalty spot, running away with his shirt off. By winning the European Cup in his homeland, and providing the defiing image, he had made it his night.
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Cristiano Ronaldo's finest European performances 28 May 2016 vs Atletico Madrid Just as he had in 2014, Ronaldo ensured that he provided the defining moment of Real's 2016 Champions League final win, putting away the decisive penalty at the end of the shootout in Milan after Juanfran had missed for Atletico. Ronaldo did not have the best game, bur no one remembers that now.
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Cristiano Ronaldo's finest European performances 12 April 2017 vs Bayern Munich Away at Bayern Munich in the 2017 quarters, Real were struggling and up against it, and only a missed penalty stopped them from going 2-0 down. But the game turned when Ronaldo received Carvajal's cross, swivelled and volleyed the ball into the bottom corner, a masterful finish. He scored another that night and three more in the thrilling second leg to make sure.
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Cristiano Ronaldo's finest European performances 3 June 2017 vs Juventus Retaining the Champions League was meant to be impossible but Real Madrid did it in 2017 and Ronaldo, of course, was front and centre of the Cardiff final. He scored Real's first and third goals and while they were not his best - or even the best of the game - he now had back to back winners medals, and not many can say that.
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But it appears that there are no hard feelings between Ronaldo and Real captain Ramos, who famously berated the Portuguese superstar for suggesting he wanted to walkway from the club after the Champions League final.
“Cristiano, your goals, your numbers and everything we've won together speak for themselves,” Ramos said in an Instagram post.
“You've earned a special place in the history of #RealMadrid. As Madridistas we'll remember you always. It's been a pleasure to play alongside you, bicho. Big hug and good luck...!”
For more news on the Ronaldo transfer: click here.
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