As Real Madrid continue to struggle in European competition following a desperate 2-0 defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday night, the absense of Cristiano Ronaldo has never been more apparent.
The conversation surrounding his departure is once again rife. Despite spending hundreds of millions to replace him, they have never quite replicated their dominance post-Ronaldo.
Zinedine Zidane's side currently sit in third place after five games ine Group B, with their form in La Liga not much better.
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They need someone to step up and make the difference. That man left two years ago.
Believe it or not, on July 1st, 2009, Ronaldo was presented to a record-breaking 80,000 fans at the Santiago Bernabéu after signing for Real Madrid for £80 million. The rest, as they say, is history.
He went on to score an incredible 451 goals in 438 games for Los Blancos during his stay at the Bernabeu, where he picked up Ballon d'Ors and Champions League's along the way; not to mention a couple of league titles.
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You could say he was, and still is, the greatest signing in football history.
But nine years later, after a meeting with Real president Florentino Perez - who was adamant that no long drawn out saga should come of the whole affair - Ronaldo decided to move on to another challenge in Turin.
It was the end of an era but the Portugal international can look back at a pretty attractive looking stat record.
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He is not only their all-time top-scorer but his contribution in terms of assists is quite remarkable.
You begin to appreciate just how unbelievable Ronaldo was for Real.
Of course, no one will forget the likes of Ferenc Puskás, Raul and Alfredo Di Stéfano. But it's fair to assume that now Ronaldo must be crowned the club's greatest ever player.
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Ronaldo has continued his incredible goal-scoring record with Juventus after a €100m move, scoring 33 goals in 31 games for Juventus in all competitions during 2020.
But ultimately, everyone will remember the extraordinary impact he had in Madrid.
What is your favourite memory of his time at the Bernabeu?
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Let us know in the comments.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Football News, Football, Juventus, Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid, La Liga