Cristiano Ronaldo scored seven more goals than his nearest rival last season, but what odds is he to repeat the feat? Click here for all the 2008/09 top scorer betting.

Robinho has hit back at criticism from Pele after the Brazilian legend suggested the player had made a mistake in opting to join Manchester City.

Former Santos forward Robinho, 24, joined City from Real Madrid on Monday in a shock transfer after having looked set to move to Chelsea.

Pele is reported to have said: “Chelsea are lucky. This is a boy who needs serious counselling. In my view, he has been badly advised.”

In response, Robinho has stressed the move to City is the right one.

“I accept Pele’s criticism as he is the king of football, but if he had been me, he would have done the same,” said Robinho.

“Real did not want to retain me. They even used me as a potential exchange to sign Cristiano Ronaldo. But as that negotiation fell through, they wanted to retain me then.

“If they didn’t want to count on me, I didn’t want to stay there either, so that is what I told the president.”

Robinho admitted his first intention was to move to Chelsea to be coached by former Brazil boss Luiz Felipe Scolari but a number of issues led to Real Madrid cancelling negotiations.

“My first goal was to go to Chelsea as it was the only club to have made a formal offer,” he added. “But Real did not like Chelsea shirts with my name on being sold before sorting out the negotiations,” he said, referring to the fact that Chelsea had already begun promoting Robinho merchandise before a deal had been concluded.

“Also, they did not reach the value Real demanded so then Manchester City came in at the last minute to sign me.”

Robinho said Real’s refusal to release him to play at the Olympic Games was one of the main reasons why he quit the Spanish side.

“I cried when he (Real president Ramon Calderon) didn’t let me play at the Olympics and you can check that by asking him,” said Robinho.

“I didn’t cry to quit. I just told him I didn’t want to stay there any longer so I asked to be transferred.”

Additional criticism of Robinho for his decision to join Manchester City came from his former club.

“One of the most disgraceful episodes in Brazilian football,” said the Santos president, Marcelo Teixeira.

The current Santos manager, Jose Fernando, said the club were “ashamed of having produced such a player”.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored seven more goals than his nearest rival last season, but what odds is he to repeat the feat? Click here for all the 2008/09 top scorer betting.