This time, it's real. This time, he's gone.
Gone after nine seasons, 450 goals, four Champions League titles and four Ballon d'Or awards.
Cristiano Ronaldo's move from Real Madrid to Juventus isn't just the second biggest transfer in history -- the deal, once you factor in wages, transfer fee and commissions, will be comfortably north of $350 million, surpassed only by Neymar -- it's also an enormous gamble for everyone involved.
Real Madrid lose their talisman, their Alpha and Omega, capable of scoring a goal a game last season. Juventus stretch their resources in an attempt to make a giant leap forward, abandoning the blueprint of organic growth that had guided them in the past seven seasons and, in a Financial Fair Play world, rolling the dice that they won't have to dismantle the squad.