Real Madrid were proved right in selling Ronaldo to AC Milan in January last year, says sports chief Pedja Mijatovic.

"We wanted to keep him, but in the winter we had an offer. 'Let's try to recover', I told (Fabio) Capello. But it was impossible," said Mijatovic.

"However, if we had sold him before then, we would always have had that doubt. It is possible that his situation would have finished like Ronaldinho's at Barcelona. In addition, he could not play with Ruud (van Nistelrooy).

"In five games together, we lost four. Ronie left and we ended up winning the league."