After signing a five-year contract with Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his extended contract with Nike. In a video released by Beaverton, the Oregon-based apparel maker, Ronaldo mentioned that the sportswear giant deal was ‘for life.’ Reports indicate that Nike have paid him a massive $ 1 billion for the privilege.
Ronaldo, praising Nike, said, “They are imaginative. They do, sometimes, surprise, and I like surprises. It’s my brand. They are smart and know how to pick the best one’s and I’m happy because I’m one of them. This means a lot for me because I can give my feedback to them, they can listen to my opinions so we work as a family."
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“I am a member of the family but I have to say that Nike is the best, for me and my opinion. They do things that no one else can do. I have a great relationship with this brand with great friends here in the company, specific people who work with me,” added the Portuguese.
Lifetime deal similar to LeBron’s
Rolando also stated that the duration of his deal with Nike is similar to NBA superstar LeBron James’ lifetime pact. LeBron penned down a lifetime deal with Nike in December 2015 worth more than $500 million.
Ronaldo was in fine form last season and this helped Real Madrid win the Champions League for the 11th time. His fine form continued in the EURO 2016 and the three-time Ballon d’Or winner helped Portugal lift the coveted trophy.
Apart from the NIKE contract, the 31-year-old also extended his contract with Real Madrid until 2021 earlier this week. This new contract will earn Rolando £20 million annually which makes him the highest paid player in the team.
On asked if he would be retiring at Real Madrid, he said, “No-one knows what the future holds. I’m going to be here for another five years, but let it be known this will not be my last contract."
“I have said many times that I carry this club in my heart, it is a part of me and it is a special time in my life," added the Real Madrid star.
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Ronaldo is the backbone of Real Madrid and his diligence has never been proved wrong. He has scored 372 goals in 360 matches for his club leading the team to two Champions League title since 2009.
He added, "Of course I would like to end my career at this club. I want to be here for many years to come. I want to continue rewriting history at this club.” He also went on to state that despite his contract not being that lengthy, he would still like to stay at the club until he was 40.
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