Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid Fans After Comment on Future: See You Next Year

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo told supporters "thanks everyone, see you next year" on Sunday as the team celebrated their UEFA Champions League 2018 triumph on the city's streets.

Ronaldo had hinted he could be about to leave the club after Real Madrid beat Liverpool 3-1 on Saturday. After the game he said "it's been great being at Real Madrid," per AS.

However, he appeared to backtrack on that statement on Sunday as the team enjoyed a victory parade through Madrid to show off their trophy, per Elena Munoz at AS.

Ronaldo won the Champions League for the fifth time in his career on Saturday, but on a night of celebration, his post-match comments came as a surprise.

Dermot Corrigan at ESPN FC showed how he had more to say after the teams had left the pitch:

Saturday's victory means Ronaldo is the first player to win the Champions League five times. He also said "perhaps they need to change the name of the Champions League to the CR7 Champions League," per BBC Sport.

His comments did not go down well in the Real Madrid dressing room and upset his team-mates, according to Sport.

Manager Zinedine Zidane gave his opinion on Ronaldo after the match, as shown by Goal:

Captain Sergio Ramos said that his team-mate "must clarify" his comments, per Marca. 

Journalist Jason Pettigrove felt Ronaldo was after a new contract:

Robbie Dunne at AS highlighted the lack of options available to Ronaldo:

Ronaldo's comments were poorly timed and did cast a shadow over Real Madrid's celebrations. The forward had a quiet game against Liverpool yet still managed to ensure the post-match walk was all about him.

The situation is similar to summer 2017, when Ronaldo reportedly told his Portugal team-mates he wanted to leave, per A Bola (h/t Samuel Lovett at The Independent).

Ronaldo stayed at Real Madrid and appeared to be happy until Saturday's outburst. His subsequent comments suggest he may have spoken hastily, and it would be a surprise if he were to depart the Santiago Bernabeu this summer.