Brazil legend Ronaldo de Lima has revealed why he decided to leave Spanish giants Real Madrid after five seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu.
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The striker moved back to Spain in 2002 (he played for FC Barcelona between 1996 and1997) after a successful spell with Inter Milan in Serie A, and managed to lift the La Liga crown twice during his time in Madrid.
Ronaldo has now admitted he did not want to leave Los Blancos when he did, but felt he had to after numerous arguments with then manager Fabio Capello over his weight.
"I didn't want to leave. I started to have a lot of problems with Capello. If I was 100 grams overweight, he would take me out of the team," the Selecao legend told Fox Sports.
"I am tolerant, I want to understand other points of view. But with him, I just couldn't.
"I understand his position as the manager, but sometimes in football, 100 or 200 grams doesn't make the difference. It's about what you actually do, and he didn't see what I actually did, what I could contribute, as the be all and end all."
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A few years later, the Brazilian superstar was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, an illness that affects the thyroid gland – the organ that regulates the body's hormones and can have a big impact on weight.
Do you think Ronaldo was treated fairly by Capello? Have your say in the comments section below.
