Old Whiskey Nose wont be impressed...hehe

[SimonPilot]

Surely he is going to the biggest club in the world

Maybe. I'm not as biased as you proper Liverpool fans.

[redlancer]

Hahaha!!!

This is ****ing brilliant. I think a part of me actually wants Man U to dig their heels in and refuse; he'd come back a sulky cunt and the Scum fans would hate him for this whole debacle.

Doubt it, he's throwing the ball into united's court and thaty **** rio isn't exactly boo'd every 10 seconds after holding them to ransom.

If he wants to play for madrid and be the highest paid player then this is the year for him to do so.

[dww]

Cristiano Ronaldo declares for Real Madrid


'I want to play for Real Madrid, but only if it is true they are eager to pay me and Manchester United what they have been saying they will'
Duncan Castles
guardian.co.uk, Thursday June 5 2008

The Champions League final could have been Ronaldo's last game for Manchester United. Photograph: Dave Thompson/PA

Manchester United must face the real possibility that Cristiano Ronaldo has played his final match for the club after the Portuguese winger publicly declared his intention to join Real Madrid at the end of the European Championship.

Speaking from Portugal's training camp in the Swiss city of Neuchatel on Wednesday, Ronaldo made a keenly awaited statement on his future. The 23-year-old stated that he wanted to leave Old Trafford to sign for the Spanish champions if they made good on their promises of world record transfer fees and wages. Spanish media reports have placed the value of a Madrid offer to United at €100m and the player's salary at £15m a year.

"I want to play for Real Madrid, but only if it is true they are eager to pay me and Manchester United what they have been saying they will," said Ronaldo in an interview with the respected Brazilian website Terra. "However, it does not depend on me."

The issue of Ronaldo's future has been the dominant feature of Portugal's European Championship training camp, overshadowing the team's preparations and seeing questions raised about the player's state of mind. Hoping to prevent inquests at national team press conferences and post-match mixed zones, Ronaldo insisted that he would not speak about his choice of club again during the tournament.

"It is important to send a message," he said. "From now on I will not talk again about this until the end of the Euros. It is not worth asking me because I will not reply."

United have repeatedly stated that they will not allow Ronaldo to move this summer, but the club may now have to improve the five-year contract they agreed with the forward in April 2007. Given the scale of Madrid's offer, the player can expect to comfortably exceed the net €10m that Michael Ballack receives from Chelsea each year.

[Snigger]

It's a shame England didn't make Euro 2008 so he and Rooney could get it on again.

[dww]

Madrid scent victory in their bid to sign Ronaldo
Now Ronaldo has announced he wants to leave Old Trafford, history shows that United are unlikely to be able to stop him

Sid Lowe, Guardian
June 5, 2008 3:18 PM
So, Ramón Calderón got it wrong again. Just two days ago Real Madrid's president insisted that signing Cristiano Ronaldo was "impossible." Now, it is very possible. In fact, it is surely now probable that he will move to the Spanish capital. Sir Alex Ferguson and Carlos Queiroz may have reacted furiously to Madrid's interest, dredging up Christopher Columbus, Franco and even Iberian border disputes, but retaining a player who publicly declares his desire to depart is always fraught with difficulty.

Since the Champions League final, the situation has been in Ronaldo's hands with Madrid, Manchester United and even FC Barcelona simply waiting for him to reveal his hand. First it was going to be within 24 hours, then 48, then three days. Now, at last, he has revealed what many expected him to reveal: he wants to join Real Madrid. This is exactly what Madrid were waiting for.

While this time Madrid's tactics have been less systematic than in the past - not least because Calderón is not as clever an operator as his predecessor Florentino Pérez - the process has been familiar. Speak to the player, leak to the press and force the selling club into a corner. Calderón was of course lying when he said that the transfer was impossible, his aim to take the sting out of a situation that had raced ahead of him. He knew that it was possible, so long as Ronaldo went public. Last week he told his board: "We have do our bit". So, might the Spanish press have added, "have we."

Like Calderón, Cristiano Ronaldo is being disingenuous when he says he wants to go to Madrid "if it's true that they are eager to pay me and United what they have been saying the will". He knows that they are willing to pay, for conversations between Madrid and Jorge Mendes, his agent, have already taken place, the bones of a deal laid down. Nonetheless, he was telling the truth when he insisted that what happens now: "does not depend on me." He has done his bit - speak out publicly at last - now it's back in the hands of United and Madrid.

The Spanish club will buy at almost any cost - they cannot possibly allow themselves not to get Ronaldo now and have already investigated ways of financing what is likely to be the biggest deal in history. But will United break and what will the cost be? History suggests that they may have to admit defeat and, privately, if the offer is huge - which it will be - they may not be that unhappy to sell.

On the face of it, Ronaldo is a great signing for Madrid. The things that make him unpopular in England - from seeking fouls to diving and pouting - will be applauded at Madrid, where he will be treated like the biggest star on earth. Referees will protect him far more than in the Premier League and the style of the game here will suit him too. There is a gap on the right side of Madrid's midfield or even as part of a front three. And he will give Madrid the one thing they have lacked in winning the league after the last two years: glamour. For all the failures of the galácticos project, there is still a longing for the sheer shininess of that side. Not to mention the sheer marketability of it.

But that could be part of the problem. Raúl has already expressly told Calderón and his sporting director Pedja Mijatovic not to break up the current side and there are those that think spending 90m Euros on one player is foolish, even by Calderón's comic standards. The Madrid president is still unpopular despite two successive titles, and, having missed out on presidential promises Cesc and Kaká Calderón and is desperate for a big statement. And they don't come much bigger than this. But while he will now be feeling quietly satisfied at a plan coming together perfectly, there is still a huge fight with United to come.

[NICKZS]

Doubt it, he's throwing the ball into united's court and thaty **** rio isn't exactly boo'd every 10 seconds after holding them to ransom.

If he wants to play for madrid and be the highest paid player then this is the year for him to do so.

Not exactly the same thing though is it? Holding out for a big contract and outright saying you want to leave the club is a totally different matter.

Anyway, the tide is already turning against him. And I can't exactly see his attitude improving after the Euro's if he isn't given the move.

[Bender]

what a knob love it if madrid turn around and say we don't want to sign you now

[redlancer]

Not exactly the same thing though is it? Holding out for a big contract and outright saying you want to leave the club is a totally different matter.

Anyway, the tide is already turning against him. And I can't exactly see his attitude improving after the Euro's if he isn't given the move.

Difference being if he stay's and performs all will be forgoten, lets not forget Stevie was all but a Chelsea player and that's leaving his hometown club for a PL rival.

Ronaldo will be leaving for "his" club in effect. rio threaten to go if they didn't pay him more- that's worse IMO.

[CJ]

this is how madrid do things. it helps them when the player comes out and says he wants to play for them.

normal business for the boys from Madrid

[NICKZS]

Difference being if he stay's and performs all will be forgoten, lets not forget Stevie was all but a Chelsea player and that's leaving his hometown club for a PL rival.

Ronaldo will be leaving for "his" club in effect. rio threaten to go if they didn't pay him more- that's worse IMO.

That was a bit of a threat in vain I think and the publicity it received reflected as much.

Comparisons with Gerrard are justified, to a degree, and I don't think he has ever been able to totally regain the adoration and respect he had from the fans previous to the Chelsea business. I know of several Liverpool fans who personally have no particular liking for Stevie outside of his footballing ability. But that situation was also different from this one given that Gerrard was at least honest about how he felt and wasn't purposefully manufacturing a media frenzy.

Another aspect to consider is, as you say,'"if he stays and performs'. I think there's a good chance that he wouldn't if Man U were blocking a move to the club you rightly say is 'his', and Fergie's recent comments about letting him rot in the stands tell you what he thinks about the way the smarmy **** has been courting and teasing the press.

[Red Chilli]

Why would he leave the biggest club in the world? It shows his greed if he goes. Bad for the league imo.

**** the league

[redlancer]

That was a bit of a threat in vain I think and the publicity it received reflected as much.



Another aspect to consider is, as you say,'"if he stays and performs'. I think there's a good chance that he wouldn't if Man U were blocking a move to the club you rightly say is 'his', and Fergie's recent comments about letting him rot in the stands tell you what he thinks about the way the smarmy **** has been courting and teasing the press.

True very true.

So either slur alex is showing who's boss or out to get the best price if he goes. SLur will come out tops again with the fans.
Can't see him rotting in the stands devaluing and drawing a wage.

[NICKZS]

True very true.

So either slur alex is showing who's boss or out to get the best price if he goes. SLur will come out tops again with the fans.
Can't see him rotting in the stands devaluing and drawing a wage.

Absolutely.

Say what you like about the horrible **** but he ain't stupid.

[Joe King]

Calderon has played a blinder in the media. He obviously knew what he was doing and up to the old Real Madrid tricks again. First declaring his interest towards the back end of the last season and for the last week or two, claiming it would be 'impossible' to get him from Manchester United and that he would like to maintain the relationship he has with United.

Calderon obviously knew about Ronaldo being 'unhappy' and that he was talking to one of the coaches who was employed by United a few years ago. The Spanish media claim that Ronaldo is unhappy with his role at United (playing up front), the hounding by defenders and he wants more money (image rights would certainly increase).

Just watch United leave him hanging and blame it on Ronaldo. This would be detrimental to United's quest of winning the title three years on the bounce, the Champions League in consecutive years and the aim to topple Real Madrid as the most marketable club in the world. What you can now guarantee is that Real Madrid will use Ronaldo's 'image' to become as big, if not bigger to when they had Beckham. Calderon talked a lot about starting a new cycle since Beckham left and Ronaldo fits the bill which nicely brings in Barcelona who are also starting a new cycle with new head coach Pepe Guardiola. Beguiristain or Laporte (whoever's the bigger idiot) claimed that Ronaldo is also their target as well. We all know Ronaldo's family and Ronaldo himself are Real Madrid fans but if the money was right, the role at the club was right, you could bet your bottom dollar that Ronaldo wouldn't have second thoughts of moving to the Camp Nou.

[Whelan5]

If he does go for the reported fee, United would be raking in the money big time and buy all our targets. I don't mind having Ronaldo still in their books, because we aren't very far away from them anyway, but imagine the amount of talent that they could buy with this money (+ what they must surely have for purported transfers).

I'm actually not that concerend about that as they can only play 11 players at the end of the day and they are undoubtedly losing the best player in the world, where are they going to get someone to score 40 plus goals a year? Remember also that say they bought 4 £20m players with the money, they would have to pay massive salaries which would far exceed what they would have been paying Ronaldo which i doubt the Glazers would be too keen on.

I therefore don't believe all of the money will go on transfers, some will undoubtedly reduce the debt.