Cristiano Ronaldo has insisted that he 'does not regret' the comments he made in the immediate aftermath of Real Madrid's Champions League final clash against Liverpool.
The Portugal international hinted after the 3-1 win in Kiev on Saturday night that he will consider quitting the Bernabeu this summer after nine years at the club.
Ronaldo used the past tense when talking about his trophy-laden spell with Madrid, saying that "it was beautiful" representing the Spanish giants.
Speaking a day on from Madrid's third successive Champions League triumph, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner conceded that the timing of his thinly-veiled comments could have been better, even if the sentiment stays true.
"I spoke when I shouldn't have done but something is going to happen. It wasn't the right time, but I was honest," Sky Sports News quotes him as saying.
"In a week I'll say something because the fans have always supported me and are in my heart. I don't speak much, but when I speak, I speak.
"Obviously I have something to say, but it wasn't the right time, although I don't regret it, because I was honest. I've kept putting up with this but then I couldn't control myself."
Reports in the Spanish press suggest that Ronaldo is not looking to leave Madrid, but instead angling for a wage increase to bring him in line with Neymar and Lionel Messi.