Cristiano Ronaldo’s final few months at Manchester United were punctuated by high-profile events taking place at the club’s training base.
Firstly, during the summer, the veteran striker - flanked by his agent and confidante Jorge Mendes - arrived for crisis talks with the Old Trafford hierarchy. That initial mediation came after it emerged that Ronaldo was looking to facilitate a sensational exit, less than 12 months after his similarly stunning return.
All eyes were on United’s HQ with new boss Erik ten Hag forced to immediately face the biggest personality at the club head on. Those talks ultimately resolved with Ronaldo staying on - but the seeds of discontent had been firmly sowed.
And months later, Carrington was home to more drama as Ten Hag ordered the Portuguese icon to train alone after he refused to come on during the win over Tottenham. A short suspension would follow before yet more talks between player and manager resulted in a forced, but amicable rebuilding of bridges.
But it is now Real Madrid’s Valdebebas training ground that is home to the latest chapter of Ronaldo’s increasingly intriguing portion of his latter career. On Wednesday Relovo confirmed that the 37-year-old had returned to the Spanish capital following his quarter-final exit in the Champions League.
The report stated that Ronaldo was given permission to work at their training base in order to maintain his fitness during his search for new employers. And while the chance of a return to the club he spent nine trophy-laden years with remains unlikely, the idea of him back in Madrid training gear was still a tantalising one.
Spanish reports are keen to press that his presence at Valdebebas was firmly as an independent trainer, working away from the main group. But that didn’t stop some younger members of Carlo Ancelotti’s squad making their way over to get a glimpse of the modern-day Los Blancos legend.
And it was perhaps Ancelotti’s presence that proved central to Ronaldo getting himself back through the doors of the Spanish and European champions. After all, while the resentment has thawed since his 2018 departure, club president Florentino Perez is not usually one for letting bygones be bygones.
Perez was enraged after Ronaldo’s desire to leave the Bernabeu became public following their Champions League triumph in 2018. But Ancelotti, who won his own European crown with the forward, has been highly complimentary of his attitude around the squad, making it clear he felt his career still had some way to go.
"Ronaldo’s last dance? I don’t know, he probably still feels like he’s 20 because he’s okay, he’s got the answers he’s looking for in his body,” he told Mais Futebol earlier this month. "He’s always taken great care of your physique. However, the competition in the Portugal national team is very strong. I had him for two years, zero problems.
"Actually, he solved my problems. Can someone who scores at least one goal per game be considered a problem? Cristiano trains very well, pays attention to detail, for me it was very easy to deal with. He’s an exceptional player."
Should Ancelotti fancy bringing Ronaldo back to the club on a permanent basis however, that may be a very different conversation. Perez was approached by a fan back in August and asked about the idea of re-signing him…failing to hide his amusement, he replied: "Cristiano? Again? At 38?"
That could be a tough sell.
