# Blanco to Bianconero: The Transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo *Stereo Serie A* • Aug. 26, 2019 --- ## Listen ![[blanco_to_bianconero_FINAL_mixdown.mp3]] --- ## Notes In the summer of 2018, Cristiano Ronaldo stunned the football world by leaving Real Madrid for Juventus. Through interviews with journalists Dermot Corrigan, Gabriele Marcotti, Adam Digby, Donato Grossi, and former U.S. international Jimmy Conrad, this audio documentary traces the chain of events that led to the blockbuster transfer — from a standing ovation at Juventus Stadium to a tax battle that made Ronaldo desperate to leave Spain. What followed was a gamble that reshaped Serie A and redefined Juventus' ambitions. --- ## Script SFX - NATURAL SOUND FROM J STADIUM > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > April 3rd, 2018. > > Real Madrid at Juventus. > > UEFA Champions League, quarter-final first leg. > > Attendance: 40,849. > > Temperature: Six degrees celsius. > > Juventus Stadium didn't see it coming. SOUND UP - BT SPORTS (2-0 GOAL VS. JUVENTUS) SOUND - NATURAL OVATION SFX FROM J STADIUM BY UEFA **Dermot Corrigan Interview** **6:09.954** > DERMOT CORRIGAN > > The way the Juve fans cheered the goal ... it was unusual. **6:27.203** > DERMOT CORRIGAN > > At the time it was a feeling that Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed and appreciated it. And maybe it had something to do with ending up there a couple of months later. > > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > *That's Dermot Corrigan. Based in Madrid, he has followed Los Blancos for the last 8 years. But on this day, he witnessed something he hadn't seen before. With an overhead kick that stunned the world - even the great Gianluigi Buffon - Ronaldo drew a standing ovation from the very fans who had come to torment him.* SOUND UP - NATURAL CROWD NOISE > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > In basketball, rival fans would pack arenas just to get a glimpse of Jordan. In hockey, Gretzky was the main attraction, even in the legendary Maple Leaf Gardens. But in calcio, respect for the opponent is measured by jeers, boos, and objects thrown. SOUND UP - COINS THROWN AT NEYMAR (BT SPORTS) > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > *Sometimes, it's like a scene right out of The Godfather. How can anyone forget the tale of the pig's head?* AUDIO - SKY SPORTS > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > And just a couple months back, a fan attacked Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish during the Second City derby. AUDIO - SKY SPORTS BACKUP - Romanian fan punches Steaua Bucharest player > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > But here was a player coming face to face with a Juventus side that hadn't lost in 25 straight matches. It was one of their typical dynastic runs, something last achieved by Inter's treble-winners. And yet Ronaldo still found a way to make Juve's fans *his* fans. BEAT SOUND - RONALDO INTERVIEW W/ JUVENTUS TV > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > Ronaldo wouldn't say whether that standing ovation made him join Juventus, but he couldn't wipe the smile off his face when asked about the goal. It was obvious that he felt the love. And maybe Real Madrid didn't show enough of it. > > But immediately after the Champions League final in May, more questions were raised. SOUND - RONALDO'S POST-MATCH COMMENTS > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > He spoke in the past tense. It *was* nice to be a Real Madrid player. Like he had already moved on. The media went to town. **Gab Marcotti interview** **2:50.303** > GABRIELE MARCOTTI > > He did this before when he was unhappy, did this when he said they weren't supporting him enough to win the Ballon d'Or. And then all of a sudden, he signs a new contract. > > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > That's Gabriele Marcotti. He's one of the most popular journalists in calcio. He's seen it all. So when Ronaldo threw his latest hissy-fit, Gab wasn't so sure this was the end. **Gabriele Marcotti interview** **3:24.162** > GABRIELE MARCOTTI > > It was treated as something like, 'This can't happen.' We've seen this before. Ultimately he'll get the deal he wants. The club will bend over for him. Florentino (Perez) doesn't have the guts or cojones to sell him. > > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > Florentino Perez is the longtime Real Madrid president who spearheaded the Galacticos era in the early 2000s. One of the most important people in calcio. A businessman at heart. He knew this five-time Ballon d'Or winner had a price. But who could afford to take him on? Even in his 30s, Ronaldo cost as much as 25,000-square-foot mansion. ESPN's Dermot Corrigan couldn't see anyone dropping that cash to sign Ronaldo. **Dermot Corrigan interview** **7:08.040** > DERMOT CORRIGAN > > At that stage, everything seemed to be closed off and he had nowhere to go. PSG, Man U ... Ronaldo was boxed in. > > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > Then something big happened, something that changed the course of Real Madrid history. SOUND - SFX FROM ZIDANE'S PRESS CONFERENCE > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > It was a shock to everyone in that press room, especially Real Madrid president Florentino Perez. Zidane was bowing out on top. But why so soon? Did Zidane know something we didn't? **Dermot Corrigan interview** **0:54.311** > DERMOT CORRIGAN > > My perspective on it would be that he knew that there would be changes at the club in the summer. **1:18.198** > DERMOT CORRIGAN > > I think he knew that Ronaldo wasn't happy, especially with Florentino. SOUND UP - SOAP OPERA MUSIC > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > Maybe Zidane was tired of the constant soap opera. Perez and Ronaldo never saw eye to eye. Their egos were too big, too uncompromising to have a healthy relationship. Remember, it was Perez's successor, Ramon Calderon, who brought Ronaldo to the Bernabeu. **Dermot Corrigan interview** **2:26.921** > DERMOT CORRIGAN > > Back in 2012, there was a famous meeting that we all kind of found out about where Ronaldo went into Florentino's office to demand a new contract and he was expecting Florentino to say yes. **2:47.610** > DERMOT CORRIGAN > > That soured the relationship. They are both alpha and want to be the biggest personality at the club. > > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > Things got worse when the taxman came calling. SOUND - "TAXMAN" BY THE BEATLES SOUND - [NEWS CLIP](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO0T56WTTHA) OF COURT DATE > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > The authorities were taking down the biggest and best celebrities in Spain. Ronaldo was one of them. So were Lionel Messi, former Madrid teammate Xabi Alonso, and Javier Mascherano. But Ronaldo was convinced this was a witch hunt against him - and him only. **Gabriele Marcotti interview** **14:40.549** > GABRIELE MARCOTTI > > It was reported that this was part of the reason that CR7 wasn't comfortable anymore living in Spain, that he felt that he was being harassed by the tax authorities. > > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > And Ronaldo's feelings were well publicized among the Spanish media, as Corrigan recalls. **3:39.063** > DERMOT CORRIGAN > > Ronaldo said to the judge that he thinks if his name wasn't CR7, he wouldn't be sitting here. > > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > Ronaldo fought these accusations without much help from Madrid. It wasn't something he would forget. This wasn't just about the money anymore. Ronaldo was feeling persecuted by the country of Spain and, more importantly, betrayed by his own club. SFX - AIRPLANE TAKING OFF SOUND - AUDIO FROM WORLD CUP > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > And if this was eating Ronaldo up inside, he did a good job of hiding it. Because the 2018 World Cup couldn't have started better for the Portuguese superstar. SOUND - CLIP OF HAT-TRICK AGAINST SPAIN > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > Portugal made the round of 16 thanks to Ronaldo's heroics, and as usual, the conversation about the greatest of all time gained steam. He was outperforming Leo Messi in Russia and making his argument as the GOAT. But things were happening behind the scenes as well. The turmoil at Madrid, the nagging tax authorities, the biggest show on earth - and the transfer that would rock world football. It was around this time when ESPN correspondent Gab Marcotti began to hear the rumours. **Gabriele Marcotti interview** **0:49.516** > GABRIELE MARCOTTI > > I remember I was first in Russia during the WC. What I first thought was that this is going to be extremely difficult to do. > > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > Corrigan was also hearing rumblings out of Madrid - but not the ones he was expecting. **Dermot Corrigan interview** **7:52.211** > DERMOT CORRIGAN > > At that point a couple weeks later I think I had already heard from a source that he had a couple of options. And I remember being surprised that Italy was one of the possibilities. Didn't know it would be Juventus. > > DERMOT CORRIGAN > > The actual details of him going to Juve ... maybe over the week or so leading up to the deal. Gab Marcotti was working on the story closely. He has very good sources at Juve in italy. Gab was leading it. > > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > No one thought Serie A was on the table. No one thought Juventus, even with all their recent success, could convince Ronaldo of a move to Italy. No one thought Juventus - always frugal, always meticulous, always cautious - had the cash to spend. And were willing to spend it. **Gabriele Marcotti interview** **4:00.801** > GABRIELE MARCOTTI > > They generally did not gamble. When they did gamble two years earlier on Gonzalo Higuain, you know, that was that. That was the reason why they then made a loss. So it didn't seem like it was going to happen with Beppe Marotta, the CEO, around. Now, maybe not a coincidence, fast forward a couple months and he leaves the club. > > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > When Portugal was eliminated from the World Cup, not a beat was skipped. Twenty-four hours later, the rumours became international headlines. Tuttosport - the cartoonish Italian daily - was pushing the story hard, and to freelance journalist Adam Digby, that meant fake news. **Adam Digby interview** **0:49.481** > ADAM DIGBY > > To anybody who follows Italian football and Italian football transfer stories with any kind of regularity, you don't even read past the Tuttosport word in an article. You read and it's blah blah blah according to Tuttosport. And you're like, yeah ... next. Because they have nonsense day after day after day. They really do. > > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > But even a broken clock is right twice a day. In a matter of days, it occurred to Digby that Juventus actually had a chance. Sources told him the impossible deal wasn't so impossible anymore. Ronaldo wasn't bluffing this time. He really did want to leave Madrid and join the reigning Italian champions. And according to Digby ... **Adam Digby interview** **3:07.696** > ADAM DIGBY > > Andrea Agnelli was personally getting involved and that he was driving a move by the board to finance a move that was utterly out of the question in normal circumstances. > > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > It helped that Ronaldo's release clause dropped from one billion euros to a more realistic hundred million euros. That happened back in January 2018 without anyone knowing. A gentleman's agreement was struck, but it left Ronaldo feeling insulted. He felt like he was no longer indispensable to Madrid. An invitation to leave. So he decided that was that. And Juventus did the math and quickly realized they could make this work. **Gabriele Marcotti interview** **7:49.793** > GABRIELE MARCOTTI > > Juve's idea behind this was basically this. Look, we've grown organically year are year. Our revenue is up. In an era of financial fair play, that matters. But we are not part of the big four commercially. We are not on a par with Barcelona, Madrid, Bayern and Man U. We're sort of the rung below that. And if we are growing organically it might take us decade. Well, we don't want to wait a decade. We want to make the big leap now. To that level where the brand is so strong that it's self-sustaining. And they felt that the way to do that was to sign CR7. > > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > The idea was conceived in one of Juventus' offices in Milan while negotiating for a different player entirely. The Bianconeri were on the verge of signing right-back Joao Cancelo when the question was raised. **Adam Digby interview** **6:27.267** > ADAM DIGBY > > Jorge Mendes, Ronaldo and Joao Cancelo's agent, basically turned around to Juve and went, 'You know you can get Ronaldo, right?' And that is ultimately where the talks began. > > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > Most assumed Mendes had travelled to Italy to negotiate for Cancelo. And that was the perfect smokescreen. Juventus had cover to discuss Ronaldo away from prying eyes and suspecting reporters milling about. Cancelo wasn't a part of Portugal's squad, so Juventus and super-agent Mendes had time to talk while everyone else was busying watching the World Cup. **Adam Digby interview** **8:17.268** > ADAM DIGBY > > I think it smoothed the way. It made the whole deal much simpler and much less public in those early days. > > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > Cancelo joined Juventus on June 27. On July 10, so did Ronaldo. **Adam Digby interview** **5:07.180** > ADAM DIGBY > > Like any fan of Serie A or any football fan in general, I was like holy shit! It's actually happening. SOUND - RONALDO ARRIVING IN TURIN > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > Adam wouldn't let himself believe the rumours until he actual saw confirmation in the form of a historic picture, Agnelli and Ronaldo posing together in Greece. Papers signed, photos taken, transfer agreed. **Adam Digby interview** **5:32.534** > ADAM DIGBY > > It really was a 'holy shit' moment. There's really no other way to describe it. Other than that, it is one of those moments that you'll always remember and that you'll look back on and say, 'That was the day the Ronaldo was actually coming to Juve and that was the start of something special.' > > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > Even with Portugal out of the World Cup, Ronaldo dominated the headlines. The move happened just days before the final in Moscow. Ronaldo was still the talk of town. **Jimmy Conrad interview** **0:10.826** > JIMMY CONRAD > > What I remember is Ronaldo doing it during the World Cup. And it took away from anything that was happening in the tournament and made it all about him. Which is what I think he liked. So even though Portugal had been knocked out at that point, somehow the world news ... which should be about the World Cup, because it only happens every four years, it somehow became all about Ronaldo. > > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > That's Jimmy Conrad, former U.S. international and media personality. He spent 13 years in MLS and played in the 2006 World Cup against Italy. Like many others, Jimmy wasn't surprised when Ronaldo left Madrid. What surprised him was Ronaldo's ultimate destination. **Jimmy Conrad interview** **1:52.154** > JIMMY CONRAD > > I think in some ways it was very un-Juve like. I know they go out and buy players of course. But it always felt like they were looking to get good deals on guys. Pogba being a best example. A pissed-off player at Man U who was filled with talent that just wasn't fitting into that system. Got him for a good price and then sold him back to that same club for 100 million dollars. **2:27.231** > JIMMY CONRAD > > It just felt almost Real Madrid-esque. You know, just going to buy the big name just to make a big splash. In a move that might not have fit with their team. > > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > Jimmy has a point. This isn't something Juventus would've done three or four years ago. Everything was about balancing the books. One player in, one player out. This is a club that built year after year toward the future. Finally, they were going all in on the present. **Gabriele Marcotti interview** **9:25.667** > GABRIELE MARCOTTI > > We're talking 30 million euros net, which works out to around 58 million euros gross. Plus the amortization of that 100 million over four years. **9:51.992** > GABRIELE MARCOTTI > > But basically he's costing Juve 83 million euros a year, which off the top of my head represents a third of his wage bill. That is an enormous, enormous, enormous number. And it's kind of hard to make any kind of argument that you're going to make up that 83 million commercially or through gate receipts. Prize money, maybe. But Champions League prize money is a possibility. Still it's very hard. > > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > Gab seems to think that's the reason why Giuseppe Marotta, long heralded as Juventus' transfer guru, eventually left the club. Ronaldo wasn't his signing. **Gabriele Marcotti interview** **10:42.792** > GABRIELE MARCOTTI > > ... The guy that was involved in every single signing in, what, the last eight years suddenly was out of the picture when it came to the CR7 deal. And it was handled directly by the president the president, Andrea Agnelli, and the sporting director, Fabio Paratici. **12:19.878** > GABRIELE MARCOTTI > > It's not the kind of gamble that Marotta wanted to make. But is a gamble that Andrea Agnelli was comfortable with and time will tell if he got his sums right. > > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > Agnelli convinced the club's shareholders it was money worth spending. And all signs indicated that it was indeed money well spent. Shares jumped 35 percent within a couple of short weeks. Those shares are now worth double what they were this time last year. **Adam Digby interview** **12:39.985** > ADAM DIGBY > > In strictly financial terms, it was worth it. I think the on-field question ... it boils down to one thing. If Juve don't win the UCL with CR7 on the team, ultimately from a footballing perspective ... from an on-field perspective, that would be a failure. OMINOUS BEAT SOUND - JUVENTUS LOSE TO AJAX SOUND - SOMETHING ABOUT RONALDO > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > You could say the first season didn't go exactly to plan. Juventus didn't make it past the Champions League quarter finals - even with Ronaldo. They won their eighth straight Scudetto a few days later, but it still felt like something was missing. SOUND - CLIP ABOUT JUVE'S UCL EXIT > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > Juventus are still expected to make nearly 100 million euros in Champions League prize money. As Gab Marcotti predicted, that's enough to cover all Ronaldo's expenses. But what about Ronaldo himself? The way Jimmy Conrad sees it, Ronaldo invested in himself to do what no one else has done before. He's now the only player in history to win the Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A, which is *insane*. But he's not here to rack up the Scudetti. Juventus were already doing that. These next three years are as much about Juventus as they are about him. **Jimmy Conrad interview** **5:13.832** > JIMMY CONRAD > > Well, I think the guy is always thinking in legacy mode. **5:18.074** > JIMMY CONRAD > > Everywhere he goes he wants to put his stamp on things. When he issues that statement to Messi, 'Hey, you should try a different league' ... and I think that will be part of his legacy that he went to different countries and he conquered. And I think he wants to do the same in Italy. I dont think it's a flash in the pan. I think he wants to win the Champions League with Juve because that would really cement his status. And it would be really hard to wrestle the title from as one of the greatest players of all time. > > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > He's also brought unprecedented attention to the league itself. Serie A needed Ronaldo more than Juventus themselves. He's brought Serie A to a totally new audience and made the league marketable despite all its recent struggles with racism. **Adam Digby interview** **11:18.460** > ADAM DIGBY > > It shows the level of interest that Ronaldo has generated, which in turn then leads to more shirt sales, to more people wanting to go to matches, to more people saying the word Juventus, to the brand being more recognizable. It doesn't instantly translate to on-field success, but off the pitch it's made a huge difference already. **Donato Grossi interview** **10:06.623** > DONATO GROSSI > > Ronaldo coming to Juve helped the league .... > > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > You might recognize the voice. That's Stereo Serie A co-host Donato Daniel Grossi. He experienced the Ronaldo effect with his own eyes and ears. It was Ronaldo's debut, the first Serie A match of the season at Chievo Verona. One hundred and thirty-seven journalists descended on Verona from around the world. A historic match not just for Serie A, but Chievo as well. SOUND - CLIP FROM ESPN AT CHIEVO **Donato Grossi interview** **2:40.391** > DONATO GROSSI > > When Juve came out and Ronaldo touched the ball, there was a big roar. SOUND - NATURAL STADIUM SFX (CARRY THROUGH SEGMENT) > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > Like many Juventini, Grossi never thought he would see this day. He was on his honeymoon, just a few short weeks after his wedding. He wasn't going to miss this. **Donato Grossi interview** **20:43.343** > DONATO GROSSI > > The buzz in the city was ridiculous. > > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > But it wasn't only in Verona. As Donato traveled Europe, he noticed the phenomenon spreading like wildfire. Ronaldo was everywhere. *Juventus* was everywhere. **Donato Grossi interview** **20:47.425** > DONATO GROSSI > > I went on my honeymoon and saw Ronaldo jerseys in Greece, Croatia, Montenegro, Spain, Italy. **21:35.563** > DONATO GROSSI > > You get the feeling that we signed someone special when there is so much hype in other countries. BEAT > MARCO D'ONOFRIO VO > > Ronaldo still has a chance to make history with Juventus, but if he doesn't, history won't look back kindly on his time in Turin. There's as much at stake for him as there is for Juventus. Ronaldo could have retired a king at Real Madrid; Juventus could have continued building toward something. But they didn't. Ronaldo made a statement, Juventus went all in, and everyone took notice. **Gabriele Marcotti interview** **7:44.761** > GABRIELE MARCOTTI > > I think the answer to whether Juve made the right move, we'll get that later. OUTRO BEAT > ANTHONY VO > > It's unclear if Ronaldo will see out all four years of his contract. He said in April he's 1,000 percent committed to Juventus, so there will be at least another chapter. > > On the next episode of Stereo Serie A, we explore the scourge of racism in Italian football. --- [[Featured Work|← Back to Featured Work]] | [[Index|Home]]