'Zidane left Real Madrid because he knew about Ronaldo's exit', claims former Blancos star

What's the story?

Former Real Madrid star Steve McManaman has claimed that Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo is involved in manager Zinedine Zidane's exit from the club last summer.

In case you didn't know...

Zidane left the Santiago Bernabeu after helping Los Blancos win their third consecutive Champions League title last summer, leaving the club in worse condition than was initially thought.

Ronaldo also ended his nine-year association with the Spanish giants that same summer and joined Serie A champions Juventus in a £105m transfer.

The Portuguese ace revealed that it was his deteriorating relationship with club president Florentino Perez that prompted him to move to a different league.

Meanwhile, Zidane did not mention any specific reason that led to the departure. The Frenchman said last summer (via The Independent), "I think it’s the right time. I think the players need a change but I should thank them because at the end of the day it’s them that fight out there and this is a club of very high expectations."

"We always want more and more, I couldn’t ask for more from these players but now is the time for them to have a different voice in the changing room. The squad already knows. I’ve not talked to them all individually but they all know, by message, yes. I spoke with the captains and with Sergio Ramos. The players have nothing to do with my decision."

The heart of the matter

McManaman believes that Zidane left because he was not happy with Ronaldo's departure, stating that the French manager must have known felt some interference in the run-up to the big announcement.

Speaking in an interview, the former Blancos midfielder said, "Surely he felt some interference. I do not know if he sensed that Cristiano was leaving and that he was not going to be replaced."

"If he guessed it, he probably did well to leave. Because it was clear that if you let someone who has given Cristiano's performance go, and do not bring anyone in to replace him, you will have problems, will you not?"

What's next?

Zidane has since made a sensational return to Real Madrid last month and faced his first defeat at the hands of Valencia last night. The club will next take on Eibar in La Liga on Saturday.