LALIGA SANTANDER
“The worst decision of my career was leaving Real Madrid”
Dutch forward Ruud van Nistelrooy is honest about what happened in LaLiga and also about his choice in the Cristiano-Messi debate.
Ruud Van Nistelrooy was considered one of the top forwards in Europe, showcasing his talent for scoring goals during his stints at Manchester United and Real Madrid. The striker joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2006, becoming one of the star signings brought in by Ramón Calderón.
In his first season, the Dutchman became the top scorer, contributing to Real Madrid’s successful campaign and their capture of the league title. Overall, the team won two league titles and two European Super Cups during his time at the club.
Regrets at leaving Real Madrid
The current coach of PSV, gave an interview with Overlap, in which he reflected on his time at Madrid and acknowledged his biggest career mistake.
“I was with Pellegrini at the time [the manager] and they signed [Karim] Benzema, Ronaldo, Kaka, so there was no place for me. I understood, I accepted, I was 33.
“I wanted to give it a go to go to the World Cup in 2010, so I decided to go to Hamburg. I made that decision too quickly. If I look back, I shouldn’t have left Madrid, it was the biggest mistake of my career. Also, it wasn’t the right time for my family to leave either.”
Cristiano, Joaquín and Ferguson: the bests
The former Madrid striker also shared his thoughts on the Messi-Cristiano comparison, stating, “I always say that Ronaldo is better, because I played with him.”
He also spoke about his time at another LaLiga club and his relationship with Joaquín, saying, “I played with him at Málaga. He is a television personality. He is known for his jokes, very funny, he is a real character.”
Finally, he praised Ferguson, his former coach at Manchester United, stating, “Alex Ferguson is the best coach I’ve ever had. I spent five years with him at United. I had never been with any other coach for so long. When you look at the legacy he left behind at United... He is by far the best,” concluded the Dutchman.
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