Chapter 372: First Leg of the Champions League Knockout Stage Amidst a Media Storm
"Stubborn maniac! Shortsighted fool! Does he really think he could have achieved all he has today if he had left Real Madrid earlier?! Does he even understand what he's doing right now? Why did I ever choose to keep that troublemaking Portuguese player! God..."
In a rare move without prior planning, after hurriedly convening an emergency PR meeting,
Florentino Pérez — the captain of Real Madrid's "Galáctico" ship — stormed back into his private office at the club's headquarters.
The moment the door closed,
the warm, smiling mask he wore fell away, revealing his true anger.
Listening to Pérez's furious tirade was Real Madrid CEO Ángel Sánchez,
who could only nod repeatedly, soothing the furious president as best he could.
"You're absolutely right, sir. Cristiano really overstepped this time, daring to pressure you directly."
"Pressure? Hah...
He almost spelled out the words 'breaking trust' right to my face!
Who does he think he is?!
What right does he have to demand such a huge salary increase from me?"
"Yes, yes... It's completely outrageous!
I'll find a time to talk to him again.
You know how he can be — sometimes impulsive.
This isn't as serious as it seems..."
"You think it's no big deal?
To him, the few million euro gap between him and Messi is everything!
Ángel, you don't know Cristiano as well as I do.
If he's bypassed Mendes to pressure me directly,
it means he's already made up his mind.
This isn't a negotiation anymore —
it's an ultimatum from our 'King of the Bernabéu'!"
Hearing Pérez's certainty, a deep worry spread across Sánchez's face.
"What do you intend to do, sir?"
Florentino gradually calmed himself.
He sat down at his desk,
his fleeting hesitation replaced once again by that trademark calm, confident smile.
"No rush.
I'll wait.
Mendes will come to either explain — or confess."
Florentino's immense aura and unwavering composure ensured that, at least on the surface,
Real Madrid's management didn't seem rattled by Cristiano's pressure.
In contrast, Mendes, who rushed to Madrid to meet Florentino on Cristiano's behalf,
was at a complete disadvantage.
There was none of his usual smoothness and ease.
However, Florentino didn't make things too difficult for Mendes.
Privately, the two had a solid working relationship,
and Real Madrid had enjoyed fruitful collaborations with many Mendes clients.
There was no need to sever that relationship over one incident.
Still, behind their outward politeness,
Mendes could clearly feel Florentino's genuine fury.
He knew he had to give an explanation to the most powerful president in football.
Thus, immediately after meeting Florentino,
Mendes rushed to Cristiano's home for a private meeting.
At that point, there was no need for accusations —
Cristiano had made his demands crystal clear.
And honestly, from Cristiano's perspective, was he wrong?
Not really.
Maybe his only mistake was being too naïve,
believing that an unwritten gentleman's agreement would hold up after he helped Real Madrid achieve their historic Champions League repeat.
Maybe, at one time, Florentino had genuinely considered fulfilling that promise.
But after Barcelona's executives handed Messi a staggering new contract,
everything changed.
If Real Madrid matched Messi's new salary,
their entire wage structure would collapse —
something Florentino absolutely couldn't allow.
Thus, both sides were right in their own ways —
yet neither would compromise.
The result?
Mutual destruction in negotiations.
That night, Mendes and Cristiano talked at length —
analyzing every aspect of staying or leaving.
No one knew how far their conversation went,
or whether a final decision was made.
But the next day, Spanish media exploded.
Photographs of Mendes meeting Real Madrid executives circulated widely.
Then Marca dropped a bombshell:
"Renewal Talks Collapse! Portuguese Superstar May Leave Bernabéu This Summer!"
At first, many Real Madrid fans laughed it off.
Another day, another rumor.
But when AS provided detailed reports of Florentino and Mendes' meeting —
confirming that Cristiano's request for Messi-level wages was outright rejected —
many previously unconcerned Madridistas began to panic.
Because deep down, they had always feared this possibility.
Previously, very few outlets reported on it,
because everyone assumed Real Madrid and Cristiano would eventually work things out.
But now, with Marca and AS both confidently doubling down,
denial became impossible.
Fans flooded the club's social media,
demanding answers.
Some even gathered outside Valdebebas and the Santiago Bernabéu, seeking clarification.
But all they received was a cold, one-line "clarification" statement from the club.
No warmth.
No reassurances.
Which only confirmed the media's reports even more.
In an instant, the idea that Cristiano might leave Real Madrid this summer
spread like wildfire across the world.
Given Cristiano's global stature,
the shockwaves weren't limited to football circles anymore.
Even people who didn't follow football were buzzing about it.
Soon, fans from other elite clubs began speculating excitedly:
Could their team land Cristiano Ronaldo this summer?
After all, the Portuguese superstar was only 31 —
still in peak form,
still the European Golden Boot winner.
Normally, rivals would slander and mock him —
claiming his numbers were inflated by Real Madrid's system.
But now?
With a real chance to sign him?
Even those who once trashed Cristiano couldn't help but admit:
He was still a once-in-a-generation monster.
As the 2015–2016 Season Enters the Final Sprint, the Ronaldo–Real Madrid Breakup Dominates Headlines
As the 2015–2016 season gradually entered its final sprint, the breaking news of Cristiano Ronaldo's fallout with Real Madrid completely overshadowed every other story in the world of football.
One week passed—same story. Two weeks later—it was still dominating!
The heat around Ronaldo showed no sign of cooling. On the internet, there were even instances of fans from other top clubs joining forces in a surreal display of affection for CR7 across cyberspace.
Despite the chaos in the media, Real Madrid on the pitch looked largely unaffected.
From January 30th to February 13th, Real Madrid registered an emphatic three-game winning streak in La Liga. Ronaldo was red-hot in those matches, scoring seven goals in three appearances. It was as if the outside noise had never reached him.
Meanwhile, back in the Premier League, the buzz around "Leon's return to Real Madrid at the right time" was starting to grow louder.
Whether by coincidence or mutual understanding, Leon seemed to have synced his own resurgence with Ronaldo's. Over the last three Premier League matches, Leon was directly involved in six goals—netting four himself and providing two assists.
He led Chelsea to a 4-1 win over Watford, a tight 1-0 victory against Arsenal, and a commanding 3-0 triumph over Newcastle—guiding the Blues to a flawless run in early-to-mid February.
However, in the FA Cup Fourth Round at the beginning of February, a Chelsea side made up almost entirely of academy players was knocked out in a 2-1 loss to Milton Keynes. It was their "first defeat" of the month.
But no one in the English media cared much about Chelsea opting out of domestic cup competitions anymore. In fact, even their three-game Premier League winning streak barely drew attention.
All anyone wanted to know now was what Leon thought about Ronaldo's increasingly likely departure from Real Madrid that summer.
And, of course, whether Leon would consider returning to Madrid after Ronaldo's exit—a club that still had a large and loyal fanbase waiting for his comeback.
Regardless of how Leon answered, the moment he said anything about the topic, the journalists would have endless angles to write from.
It didn't matter how many issues the press would split it into—every single headline would be a gold mine for clicks and circulation.
But Leon, clearly prepared for this onslaught, had his own way of dealing with the media vultures hoping to provoke a reaction.
"I'm deeply saddened by these kinds of rumors," Leon said calmly. "Everyone knows what Cristiano means to Real Madrid fans.
"If you're asking my opinion, then I'd say—just enjoy watching Madrid play. They're a truly powerful team with a beautiful attacking style!"
"As for the supposed 'insider info,' you probably know more than I do. Since the FIFA award ceremony, I haven't spoken to Cristiano or any of my former teammates at Madrid.
"To be honest, I'd like to know what really happened, too. So if any of you have firsthand info, please publish it soon. I'd be more than happy to subscribe to your newspapers!"
After deflecting several rounds of relentless questioning with similar responses, Leon finally found some peace during his drive to training and later on his way home.
But the storm on the internet hadn't calmed in the slightest.
And it was in this noisy atmosphere that Europe's top teams stepped onto the stage for their first Champions League knockout matches of the season!
Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, the first two powerhouses to face off, naturally drew intense attention from neutral fans.
Over the past few years, PSG had moved on from their early "rich but reckless" phase, where they signed players based on reputation rather than need. Now, their transfer strategy had grown more professional and streamlined.
The spending hadn't stopped, but they were no longer afraid to clean house when it came to underperforming "stars."
For example, there was a certain attacking midfielder who had been pressuring PSG's management for a raise over the last two seasons—despite being constantly injured.
As soon as the summer transfer window opened, President Nasser Al-Khelaifi sold him off to a Turkish club at a discount.
Faced with the option of either moving to the Turkish league or sitting on the bench at PSG indefinitely, that player had no choice but to accept the former.
In a way, it fulfilled his dream of returning to play in his homeland a little ahead of schedule.
Still, Leon felt deeply unsatisfied that he couldn't personally give the guy one last lesson. The whole ordeal had drained some of his usual enthusiasm for facing PSG—normally one of his favorite targets to dominate.
But no matter how strong Chelsea were on paper, this was still the first Champions League knockout tie of the season. Leon and his teammates came into it with full focus.
On the evening of February 16th, under the bright lights of Parc des Princes, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain's starting elevens stepped onto the pitch.
PSG's current lineup had seen several upgrades. Compared to the previous two seasons, the team now boasted greater balance between offense and defense and had firmly established itself as an elite club in European football.
As commentators from various countries announced the lineups and formations in detail, fans were presented with the tactical chessboard for the night:
PSG's starting goalkeeper was the rising German international Kevin Trapp.
In defense, the robust center-back duo of David Luiz and Marquinhos—the most dominant pairing in Ligue 1—stood guard.
On the left was the seasoned Maxwell, while the right flank was manned by Van der Wiel.
In midfield, veteran anchor Thiago Motta controlled the tempo, flanked by Matuidi and Verratti as left and right central midfielders, respectively.
Up front, the newly formed trident of Lucas Moura, Gonzalo Higuain, and Ángel Di María had become manager Laurent Blanc's go-to attacking option.
With the drama of Mesut Özil finally behind them and the acquisition of Matuidi from Real Madrid, Blanc could now implement his tactical philosophy without interference.
His upgraded PSG squad had torn through the Ligue 1 season with a jaw-dropping 23 wins and 3 draws—leading second-place Monaco by nearly 30 points!
Even if you argued that such dominance came from beating up on weaker teams in a lower-tier league, numbers like that were still worth talking about.
As the match was about to kick off, Leon stood at his own half with his hands on his hips, gazing across the pitch.
He spotted several familiar faces.
Higuain. Di María. His old teammate Matuidi—the first midfield general who'd supported him in Spain. And of course, David Luiz—the once beloved clown prince of the Chelsea locker room.
They had all once fought alongside him in different teams.
But tonight, they stood as rivals, ready to clash in a fierce battle.
For a brief moment, Leon's mind drifted back to years ago, when he'd visited footballing legend Juan Sebastián Verón. He recalled the elder's kind smile when he told Leon to take a long view of the football world's endless transfers and shifting loyalties…
"Follow your path. If your conscience is clear, that's all that matters."
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