Schalke striker Klaas jan Huntelaar has opened up about his Real Madrid disappointment as he prepares to face his former employer’s in the Champions League on Wednesday.
- By Michael Bell
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Huntelaar left Ajax to join Real Madrid in 2009 for a fee of €27 million, but was sold eight months later, despite netting a respectable 8 goals in 20 appearances, as new president Florentino Perez cast out the clubs Dutchman that included Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder.
A move to AC Milan followed, but that also proved to be a failure for the Dutchman, who left for Schalke after only one season. However in Germany Huntelaar has become one of the most deadly forwards in Europe.
Tomorrow night, Schalke host Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16, and it will give Huntelaar a chance to gain revenge on the club that shunned him.
Speaking to Marca, Huntelaar said of his time in Madrid, “I arrived during a difficult time for the club in every sense. We were far behind Barcelona but we played a good second half of the season and closed the gap to the top significantly.
“Despite everything I was focused on playing, on fighting for a place in the team, but they didn’t give me a chance and they left me no option.
“They wouldn’t even let me train with the rest of the squad, they shut me out. I had to leave. So I sought an exit and moved to Milan.
“Obviously it wasn’t my objective to leave Real Madrid so soon but that’s football and there’s no point in dwelling on it.”
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i’ve always liked the Hunter
his header against england – not many Oranje forwards would be so brave!