“He was my best player. I was sorry that I had to get rid of him!”

“We had no choice and we had to give up Ronaldo! Weighed 94 kilograms and spent every evening.”Don Fabio complained.

The Italian came in his second adventure at Real Madrid, nine years after the first short experience (1996-1997) and at the end of two seas on Juventus's technical bench. Reached in 2006 on “Santiago Bernabeu” at the club led by Ramon Calderón, after a period of three years without trophies, Capello faced the end of the galactic era.

Fabio Capello used to change holder Ruud Van Nistelrooy with Ronaldo reserve at Real Madrid / Photo: Imago

Fabio Capello: “I told the president that we had to leave him. We had no hope from Ronaldo!”

Los Blancos decided to transfer Van Nistelrooy from Manchster United, although they already had Ronaldo in the lot. “Ronaldo is the best player I have ever trained. He liked to go out every night, he was crazy!

28For minutes Ronaldo played in total in both matches played by Real Madrid against Star in the fall of 2006 in the Champions League groups. The Brazilian always replaced Van Nistelrooy, who scored a goal in Ghencea and a penalty in return, the match being decided by Nicoliță's “Tontogol”

He weighed 94 pounds and didn't want to lose weight. At one point, I told the president that we had to leave him, there was no hope to go further. So I let him go and I was sorry. But, I repeat, I didn't have a better player than him! ”.

Remaining Ruud Van Nistelrooy's reserve, Ronaldo left Real Madrid in Mercato in winter and signed with Milan. That season, Fabio Capello's team won the Liga, but President Calderón decided to give up Italian. A year later, neither Ronaldo nor the Italian coach were on “Santiago Bernabeu”.