Want to repeat title winning honours at Real Madrid, says Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo's declaration of wanting to stay comes after weeks of intense transfer rumours which linked him out of the Spanish capital and most possibly back to Manchester United.

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Cristiano Ronaldo played a crucial role in Real Madrid winning three trophies in the last season. (Source: Reuters)

Ending weeks of speculation, Cristiano Ronaldo has assured that he plans to stay at Real Madrid and defend the trophies that the club won during the previous season. In a fantastic season for the Spanish side, they won the Club World Cup, La Liga and the Champions League. “To win important trophies with my club and the personal honours last season was brilliant, to do it again would be nice,” Ronaldo told Spanish sports daily Marca in an interview from Shanghai.

Ronaldo’s declaration of wanting to stay comes after weeks of intense transfer rumours which linked him out of the Spanish capital and most possibly back to Manchester United. It all surfaced following rumours of his unhappiness in Madrid in the Portuguese newspaper A Bola. Those claims reportedly surfaced after apparent abandonment by the club over his case with the Spanish tax authorities.

Portugal national team’s captain Ronaldo has been asked to appear before a judge near Madrid on July 31 to answer on four counts of evading 14.7 million euros ($16.8 million) in taxes relating to his image rights.

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On Saturday, Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane had assured the supporters and put the rumours to rest by saying the striker was on holiday and would be back on August 5. The French manager also said Ronaldo was going to stay with the club for ‘2-3 years’.

Ronaldo has been given an extended leave to miss the club’s pre-season US tour following a long season and then the Confederations Cup with Portugal in Russia. Speaking in Los Angeles prior to Real’s first pre-season game against Manchester United, Zidane insisted that he would be back at the club “on the fifth (of August) and I think he’ll stay for the next two or three years he’s got left with us.” Real lost the first pre-season game on penalties after being locked at 1-1 following the 90 minutes.

In the interview, Ronaldo also looked ahead to the 2018 World Cup with European champions Portugal. “We still have to qualify but I’m hoping that Portugal can win an incredible title.”