Cristiano Ronaldo has opened up about his decision to leave Real Madrid in the summer to join Serie A giants Juventus in a high-profile move.

The Portuguese superstar enjoyed nine trophy-laden seasons with Los Blancos before joining Juventus, but has now revealed why he decided to jump ship in the summer.

Ronaldo explained the role played by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez in influencing his decision to leave in an interview with France Football magazine.

“I felt within the club, especially from the president, that I was no longer considered in the same way as I was at the beginning,” he stated.

“For the first four or five years, I felt like Cristiano Ronaldo. Less so after.

“The president looked at me in a way that suggested I was no longer indispensable, if you know what I mean. That is what made me think about leaving.”

The five-time FIFA Ballon d’Or winner also stated that Zinedine Zidane’s decision to leave the Spanish giants in the summer bore no part in his decision to join Juventus.

“My decision to leave was not based on him going. That said, it was one of the little details that confirmed to me what I had been thinking about the situation at the club,” he revealed.

Ronaldo has made an excellent start to his Juventus career.

The Juventus star has been at the centre of controversy over the past month or so after he was accused by former American model Kathryn Mayorga of raping her in June, 2009. The incident is alleged to have taken place just before Ronaldo’s departure from Manchester United to Real Madrid, with Mayorga last month filing a complaint in the district court of Nevada.

“Of course this matter interferes with my life. I have a partner, four children, an ageing mother, sisters, a brother, a family with whom I am very close,” Ronaldo said about the claim.

“That is without talking about my reputation, that of an exemplary person. Imagine what that is like to have someone say you are a rapist, or that you have this or that.

“I know who I am and what I did. The truth will come out. And the people who criticise me and who expose my life today, who make a song and dance about it, these people will see.”