If Barcelona were a just bit wealthier ten years ago, Real Madrid’s hero, Cristiano Ronaldo, could’ve well been playing for them, says the Catalan side’s former president, Joan Laporta.

“Barcelona was offered Ronaldo’s transfer when he was still a Sporting player,” Laporta is cited as saying by Sport-Express newspaper. “We could’ve signed him back than, paying less than Man United actually did. But at that time we had just acquired Ronaldinho, Ricardo Quaresma and Rafael Marques and we just did not have the financial resources to sign Cristiano Ronaldo as well.”

Ronaldo moved to Manchester United from Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon for €17.5 million in 2003.

Six years later, he left England for Real Madrid, scoring an impressive 130 goals in 120 appearances for the team from the Spanish capital.

The rivalry of Real and Barcelona as well as the team’s captains Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi is considered the biggest not only in Spain, but in the whole of football.

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