Ronaldo not leaving Madrid, says Perez

MADRID – Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has moved to quash speculation Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave the reigning La Liga champions.

Friday, September 07, 2012
Cristiano Ronaldo.

MADRID – Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has moved to quash speculation Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave the reigning La Liga champions.Ronaldo fuelled transfer rumours earlier this week when he expressed his sadness over "a professional issue” following Real Madrid’s 3-0 win over Granada.The Portugal international has since been linked with a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu, but Perez believes leaving the club was not Ronaldo’s motivation for speaking up."If he wanted to leave he’d have said so when the transfer window was still open,” Perez told Marca. "There are other reasons behind it.”Meanwhile, Ronaldo’s club captain Iker Casillas says he hopes football fans can sympathise with the star forward, despite giving little away with regard to the cause of his unhappiness."I can understand if people find it difficult to understand what footballers go through. But we’re also human beings and we have our worries, just like everyone else. We have friends and family, as you would expect,” Casillas said.