Borussia Dortmund managing director Carsten Cramer has cleared that the Bundesliga team did not pursue a move for Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portuguese international’s Manchester United contract was terminated following his explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
Dortmund had been heavily linked with Ronaldo last summer.
Cramer, while speaking to the German magazine Kicker, said that Dortmund’s value does not “depend on social media followers.”
“Basically, the value of Borussia Dortmund does not depend on social media followers,” he said.
“We are a football club, that’s the key. We can have the best ideas in marketing, but if we lose 3-0 at home to Freiburg, it doesn’t work.
“Even with the best brand presentation, the be-all and end-all is the product.”
After being linked with several club, Ronaldo has signed by Saudi Arabia club Al Nassr for a reportedly £177m per year.
Earlier, Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl, too had denied the claims that the club wanted to sign Ronaldo.
“Cristiano Ronaldo will not move to Borussia Dortmund. This is so,” he told German newspaper Bild at the time.
“The click figures were probably outstanding but we have done a few things over the past days to pin down this rumour.
“[Ronaldo is] certainly a fantastic player, a world footballer. But if it is said that he is missing the Bundesliga, then that is not our issue.”
After a sombre start in his first two official games for AL Nassr, Ronaldo has scored five goals and provided two assists in his past three games.