Ronaldo had no choice but to escape from Man Utd says ex-Real Madrid president

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    Ramon Calderon believes Cristiano Ronaldo had no choice but to engineer an escape route from Manchester United.

    Ronaldo has left Old Trafford after United terminated his contract in the wake of an explosive interview which saw him trash the club.

    The decision to rip up his contract means Ronaldo's United legacy will be tarnished forever. But Calderon believes Ronaldo was still far too good not to be in Erik ten Hag's team and was wasted on the bench.

    READ MORE: Man Utd avoid giving Cristiano Ronaldo massive payout after ripping up his contract

    The former Real Madrid president was instrumental in Ronaldo's £80m move to the Bernabeu from United in 2009.

    Calderon said: "Cristiano might be coming to the end of his glorious career, but he remains a wonderful player. It must have been so frustrating for him to not be in the team at Manchester United.

    Where will Cristiano Ronaldo go next? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below

    "United will have their reasons, of course, but someone of his stature in the game was never going to accept that.

    "He has to be playing football. He has his pride and reputation to consider, so I think it's a good thing his time there has come to an end.

    "He wouldn't have wanted it to end like it did, but that's football sometimes. It can be a brutal business."

    Calderon, who has travelled to Qatar to watch the World Cup, stood down as Real president in 2009 following a vote rigging scandal, but remains a avid supporter of the club and still attends games on a regular basis.

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