Cristiano Ronaldo told close friend and former Real Madrid teammate Marcelo he was leaving before last season’s Champions League final.
The two Portuguese-speaking natives were very close during their time at Madrid and Ronaldo, whose final game was the 3-1 victory over Liverpool in Kyiv, informed Marcelo of his decision before the game.
“Damn, we were training for the final and he told me: 'I'm leaving,'” Marcelo revealed in an interview with Esporte Interactivo, as cited by Marca.
“I realise that I have lied to you about this before, but that is because I had to.
“Juventus move? They are a great club, but I have a contract with Real Madrid.”
Marcelo, 30, is contracted to Los Blancos until 2022, after signing a new deal with the club in September 2017, stating at the time that he wished to end his career in the Spanish capital.