Football
Dermot Corrigan, Madrid correspondent 6y

Cristiano Ronaldo's China talk is no problem - Real Madrid's Florentino Perez

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has said he is not worried that Cristiano Ronaldo asked former Guangzhou Evergrande coach Luiz Felipe Scolari about life in China.

Scolari, a three-time Chinese Super League winner and Ronaldo's former Portugal coach, said this week he had told him China would be an excellent place to further his career.

Although Ronaldo has occasionally been linked with a lucrative move to the Far East, Perez told Onda Cero it was only natural for former colleagues to ask each other about their current work.

"Where was Scolari coaching?" Perez asked at a charity event organised by ex-Madrid player Esteban Granero.

"If I have a friend who is working in Hong Kong, I ask him how things are there. I don't know what they talked about."

Ronaldo is under contract at Madrid until 2021, but there is uncertainty over his long-term future amid a stand-off with Perez over a pay-rise and ongoing issues with the Spanish tax authorities.

Last January, Perez denied a claim by agent Jorge Mendes that a Chinese club had made a €300 million offer for Ronaldo.

Portuguese newspaper A Bola also reported last summer that "multi-millionaires in Chinese football" were preparing "astronomical offers worth €180m" to push through a deal.

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