[b]2008–2009[/b]
On 5 June 2008, [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_Sports]Sky Sports[/url] reported that Ronaldo had expressed an interest in moving to [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_Madrid_C.F.]Real Madrid[/url] if they offered him the same amount of money the team had allegedly promised him earlier in the year.[sup][url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano_Ronaldo#cite_note-33][/url][/sup] Manchester United filed a tampering complaint with [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA]FIFA[/url] on 9 June over Madrid's alleged pursuit of Ronaldo, but FIFA declined to take any action.[sup][url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano_Ronaldo#cite_note-34][/url][/sup][sup][url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano_Ronaldo#cite_note-35][/url][/sup]Speculation that a transfer would happen continued until 6 August, when
Ronaldo confirmed that he would stay at Manchester for at least another
year.[sup][url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano_Ronaldo#cite_note-36][/url][/sup]Ronaldo underwent ankle surgery at the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_Medical_Center]Academic Medical Center[/url] in [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amsterdam]Amsterdam[/url] on 7 July.[sup][url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano_Ronaldo#cite_note-bbcsport-37][/url][/sup] He returned to action on 17 September in United's [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Champions_League_2008%E2%80%9309]UEFA Champions League[/url] goalless group-stage draw with [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villarreal_CF]Villarreal[/url] as a substitute for [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Ji-Sung]Park Ji-Sung[/url],[sup][url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano_Ronaldo#cite_note-38][/url][/sup] and scored his first overall goal of the season in a 3–1 [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_League_Cup]League Cup[/url] third round win over Middlesbrough on 24 September.
In a 5–0 win over [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoke_City_F.C.]Stoke City[/url] on 15 November 2008, Ronaldo scored his 100th and 101st goals in all competitions for Manchester United, both from free kicks.[sup][url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano_Ronaldo#cite_note-39][/url][/sup] The goals also meant that Ronaldo had now scored against each of the other 19 teams in the Premier League at the time.[sup][url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano_Ronaldo#cite_note-40][/url][/sup] On 2 December, Ronaldo became Manchester United's first [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballon_d%27Or_2008]Ballon d'Or[/url] recipient since [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Best]George Best[/url] in [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballon_d%27Or_1968]1968[/url]. He finished with 446 points, 165 ahead of runner-up [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Messi]Lionel Messi[/url].[sup][url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano_Ronaldo#cite_note-worldgame-41][/url][/sup] He was awarded the Silver Ball after finishing with two goals as United won the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_FIFA_Club_World_Cup]Club World Cup[/url] on 19 December.[sup][url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano_Ronaldo#cite_note-42][/url][/sup]
On 8 January 2009, Ronaldo was uninjured in a single-car accident in which he [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totaled]wrote off[/url] his [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_599_GTB_Fiorano]Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano[/url] in a tunnel along the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A538_road]A538[/url] near [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_Airport]Manchester Airport[/url]. A [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breathalyzer]breathalyzer[/url] test he gave to police officers at the scene was negative, and he attended training later that morning. Four days later, he became the first Premier League player ever to be named the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_World_Player_of_the_Year]FIFA World Player of the Year[/url], in addition to being the first Portuguese player to win the award since [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lu%C3%ADs_Figo]Luís Figo[/url] in 2001.[sup][url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano_Ronaldo#cite_note-wpoy-44][/url][/sup]
Ronaldo scored his first Champions League goal of the season, and first since the final against Chelsea, in a 2–0 victory over [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F.C._Internazionale_Milano]Internazionale[/url] that sent United into the quarter-finals.[sup][url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano_Ronaldo#cite_note-45][/url][/sup] In the second leg against [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F.C._Porto]Porto[/url],
Ronaldo scored a 40-yard game-winning goal as United advanced to the
semi-finals. He later called it the best goal he had ever scored.[sup][url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano_Ronaldo#cite_note-46][/url][/sup] Ronaldo participated in his second consecutive [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_UEFA_Champions_League_Final]Champions League final[/url],
but made little impact in United's 2–0 loss to Barcelona. He finished
with 53 appearances in all competitions, which was four higher than the
previous year, but scored sixteen fewer goals (26) than his career-best
total of 42 from the previous season.
On 11 June, Manchester United accepted an unconditional offer of £80
million from Real Madrid for Ronaldo after it was revealed that he
again had expressed his desire to leave the club.[sup][url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano_Ronaldo#cite_note-48][/url][/sup] It was confirmed by a representative of the Glazer family that the sale was fully condoned by Ferguson.[sup][url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano_Ronaldo#cite_note-49][/url][/sup]
When Ronaldo had eventually completed his transfer to Real, he
expressed his gratitude towards Ferguson for helping him develop as a
player, saying, "He's been my father in sport, one of the most
important factors and most influential in my career.[sup][url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano_Ronaldo#cite_note-50][/url][/sup]written by B.Zakhour
[sup][url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano_Ronaldo#cite_note-50][/url][/sup]
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