In an interview with Marca, former Madrid forward Robinho has revealed the reason why his departure to Chelsea in 2008 failed to materialise.
"I wanted to go to Chelsea, [then-Blues coach] Scolari told me that I could make the difference for him in the team," Robinho said.
"However, Real Madrid ended up badly with them, they didn't like the way that Chelsea sold shirts with my name on them before the deal was done.
"I am sure it was this that led to the negotiations to fail and it was a case of pride for Real Madrid. On top of this Chelsea were in the Champions League and City weren't."
The Brazilian has still got it:
The 36-year-old, currently at Istanbul Basaksehir, scored 25 goals in more than 100 La Liga appearances for Real Madrid.
Robinho's spell with Los Blancos lasted for three years until the then-27-year-old chose to continue his career with Manchester City in 2008.
He left behind rather mixed reviews with some blaming the player for being too unprofessional, while others remembering the rare moments of the Brazilian's pure brilliance.
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