Cristiano Ronaldo blocked the Instagram account of transfer website Transfermarkt in March last year after taking offence at the valuation they had given him.
Transfermarkt published a 'Jorges Mendes XI' on Instagram made out of players represented by the Portuguese agent in March 2020, with Ronaldo spearheading the attack and given a valuation of €75m.
Shortly after publishing the graphic, Transfermarkt commented on their own post saying 'We can't tag Ronaldo because he blocked us after he saw his market value' and now they have lifted the lid on exactly what happened.
'He sent a message first to our social media guys,' Christian Swartz, Tranfermarkt's coordinator, told The Athletic.
'They answered him, explained why, and told him "The people in your own age group, you are by far the number one".
'I think it was £30-50 million difference (between Ronaldo and the next player on the list), and then he sent some smilies, and then he blocked us.'
Ronaldo, then at Juventus, was actually the second-most expensive player in the XI, behind €100m-rated Bernard Silva of Manchester City.
A little over a year later, Ronaldo left Turin to return to Manchester United in a deal worth £19.8m - although the fee was influenced by Juventus looking to get his wages off their books as they counted the financial impact of the pandemic.
Ronaldo turns 37 next week and thanks to his forensically precise diet and rigorous exercise plan away from the pitch, he's doing a good job of keeping father time at arm's length.
He has scored 19 goals in 28 games for club and country this season and remains one of the fiercest strikers in the game - yet won't be commanding a fee above what United signed him for at his age.
Ronaldo signed a two-year deal at Old Trafford but there are murmurs of uncertainty around his future at the club amid another turbulent campaign. United are fourth in the Premier League standings but just two points ahead of Tottenham, who have two games in hand.
Ronaldo and his team-mates return to league action on February 8 away to Burnley.
Ebubechukwu1996
287
Af can't survive without Ronaldo
KingRogers7
177
Autty=> Anti-CR7 or Anti-Ronaldo or Ronaldomenia.
SIDKAUSH
124
lubbcmpru
113
Ugly truth. Messi is just media awards GOAT
KushPuri7
95
Consider Or Not HE IS THE GOAT
prakashcr7
73
"Anyone who talks about Cristiano Ronaldo gets the big headline next day"
zablmnr
64
the penalty merchant does it again
Podabilry
22
Who does Af articles mostly centered on? Messi or Cristiano? Who does Af articles seems to favors more? Messi or Cristiano? Who cannot do without deliberately doing things that will make people talks about him? Messi or Crisriano? If social media is suspended for 3 months who is likely to lose part of his fan base? Messi or Cristiano? Who can't cope with not being on instagram for some time? Messi or Cristiano? Who is perceived to be the owner of Af ? Messi or Cristiano? Does Af hates Messi or Cristiano? So, according to cristiano's fans Af hates Crisriano and Af is Messi's app ! Ok 👌 Balloondor is owned by Messi? Fifa best is owned by messi? Fifa transfer market app is also owned by Messi? @autty is Messi's cousin! Perez is a secret friend of Messi! Fred and Greenwood are no more passing the ball to cr5 and since then no to tap in for cr5 because both fred and Greenwood suddenly realized that they are Messi's relation! Benzema said you don't know football if you ever criticize Messi when Benzema suddenly discovered that he and Messi are from france 🇫🇷! Cristiano fans believed cr5 worth over $100m. But Juventus sold Cristiano for $18m because Messi paid them to do so ! Balloondor and fifa refused to give cristiano award because they are all Jealous and hate Cristiano become he has more money 💰 than them. Why do everyone hates Cristiano? Because they don't have winning mentality like cr5 ! Because he can score with head, nose, boom boom, left leg , right leg and any part of his body but Messi can only scores with left leg but Messi's left won 6 golden shoes while cr5 whole body won only 4 golden shoes, (meaning messi's left leg is better than cristiano whole body? the highest goals scored by cristiano in a single year using every parts of his body was 69 while Messi's left leg alone scored 91 goals) Cristiano fans who do you like this?
NillonThomas
13
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had to be a Manchester United fan that made that comment
EmonKhan89
11
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Ronaldo pays for the first row sit to watch Messi win his ballon d'Or
Muwabcdor
11
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And what? Ronaldo wants to have dinner with messi too
Gunners4ever❤
8
Ugly truth. Messi is just media awards GOAT
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