Ronaldo's bombshell - I don't know whether I'll stay at Unit
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Ronaldo's bombshell - I don't know whether I'll stay at United
Cristiano Ronaldo has thrown Manchester United's Champions League Final preparations into disarray when he refused to commit his future to them.
Sportsmail can reveal Real Madrid are prepared to pay Ronaldo a staggering salary of £200,000 a week to join them.
United insist Ronaldo is not for sale, but Madrid are so determined to try to sign him this summer they are willing to offer United a transfer fee of at least £40million and make the Portuguese winger the best-paid player in the world.
Real will be encouraged to step up their pursuit after Ronaldo revealed on Thursday that he will consider his position at Old Trafford once Wednesday's final against Chelsea in Moscow is out of the way.
Ronaldo said: "I am feeling happy here and I am feeling calm here. But let us see what happens after the Champions League Final. I am feeling happy but in the future I don't know."
United indicated their willingness to pay big money to keep their stars on Thursday when Rio Ferdinand agreed a new, five-year contract which will be worth £32.5m or £125,000 a week.
Ronaldo has enjoyed his best-ever season, scoring 41 goals as United retained their Barclays Premier League title and made it to their first Champions League Final since 1999.
But interest in the 23-year-old, from Real Madrid in particular, refuses to go away and the Spanish giants will be delighted to hear the details of a conversation he had with South American television station TV Aztec on Thursday.
Asked about his views on a move to Spain, Ronaldo said: "I have said a million times that I would like to play there, but it is one thing to dream and quite another to understand the reality.
"I don't know the club at all. But I know they like the way I play and I know that other teams in Spain like my game as well. It is good to know that they like my game, but I am happy here."
Ronaldo gave a 10-minute interview to the TV station, about half of which dealt with the thorny issue of his future.
Real general director Miguel Angel Arroyo spelled out his club's willingness to lavish record sums on their effort to sign Ronaldo.
He said: "Real Madrid have the solvency and the financial liquidity to be able to take on a signing of the magnitude of Ronaldo. It would be economically beneficial due to merchandising that would arise. If it is not possible it will not be because of money."
United are used to Real courting their player and will no doubt look to stress that Ronaldo did suggest yesterday that he is 'happy' at Old Trafford. They will also point out that he is under contract until 2012.
Nevertheless, the fact Ronaldo chose not to blank the questions outright will have set alarm bells ringing, particularly his suggestion that he will make some kind of decision after next week's final.
Asked if he liked the complimentary comments attributed to the Real president, Ronaldo said: "Of course I like that. It is nice to know that other clubs are interested in you."
It is unlikely Real will be able to lure Ronaldo away from United this summer. Old Trafford chief executive David Gill has already stressed that the Portugal international would not be for sale at any price. However, the publicity the player's comments will attract will not be helpful to United manager Sir Alex Ferguson as he prepares his team for the biggest game of their season.
Questioned about the importance Ronaldo to United, Ferguson said: "What more can I say about him? He has been phenomenal. To score that number of goals has been amazing, particularly for a wide player."
Having already secured the League title for the 10th time, the United boss was relaxed on Thursday and in no mood to react strongly to suggestions by Chelsea manager Avram Grant that United won the title because of decisions made by referee Steve Bennett in Sunday's decisive 2-0 win at Wigan.
Bennett failed to spot a Ferdinand handball in his own area in the first half, awarded a penalty to United and then chose not to send off Paul Scholes for a second bookable offence.
Ferguson said: "I don't know how those comments came about. But anyway, I don't think they were about last Sunday. I think they were said with next week in mind and next season.
"I could go on and on about decisions. We feel we did not get a lot of assistance. Maybe we should have been champions even before we went to Chelsea at the end of April.
"But all this is about next Wednesday. That is why Avram Grant is talking this way."
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it seem real madrid always get their man.
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the newspapers always like to stir up shit especially during the eve of important matches.
Come on lah, which footballer so stupid to say absolute NO to move to Real Madrid? Similarily, you won't say NO to go to a big company right? Must always leave a path behind mah...
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No worry lah, Not happening anytime soon... Real are still trying desperately hard, trying all sorts of ways but as long as Fergie don't retire yet Ron won't be leaving United... Anyway, they can still keep him for a good 2, 3 yrs before selling him for a nice record sum...
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hmmm.. £200,000 a week..
the fella will be earning in a week what most of us will earn in a lifetime
the wages of footballers are becoming insane
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Gay salary man. 1 lifetime also cannot earn that much. lol..
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Originally posted by the Bear:
hmmm.. £200,000 a week..
the fella will be earning in a week what most of us will earn in a lifetime
the wages of footballers are becoming insane
When you think of it, it isn't that crazy when Tennis players, Golfers, NBA Basketball players, Baseball players in US, Boxers, F1 racers all earn more compare to footballers...
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Insane amounts of money are now floating around. About ten years ago, Roy Keane's salary of about 50,000 pounds a week was one of the highest. At the end of the day, it is we consumers who bear the brunt of all these burgeoning salaries with our ever-increasing subscription rates for cable tv.
What irks me is to see people like Darren Bent (ffs!!) getting 90,000 a week for warming up the bench.
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Ronaldo wearing Nike version of FBTs arh? sexy sia..
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They are pegging it against movie star salaries.
I think its reasonable. Since alot of us view it as entertainment.
Afterall, one match is about a movie length right?
except they every week one match. brat pig can only dream of a filming a movie a week. hahhaha
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I STAY BECAUSE OF FERGIE
CRISTIANO RONALDO and Sir Alex Ferguson were born 44 years and 1,100 miles apart. But their destinies are entwined to such an extent that Manchester United's long-term future rests on a Madeiran marvel and a Glaswegian genius.
If Ronaldo's loyalty to Old Trafford is being severely tested by Real Madrid's relentless stalking, the presence of Ferguson will be a deciding factor in any decision to stay or go. Whether it's respect, fear or a combination of both, Ronaldo has made it clear his future is governed by Ferguson's position at United.
As long as Fergie remains in power, Ronaldo is content to remain in England. And that could see the pair spearheading United's quest for even greater glory for another two years. Ronaldo acknowledges the debt he owes to Sir Alex — not just for signing him but for rescuing his United career after his controversial part in Wayne Rooney's red card at the 2006 World Cup finals.
Ronaldo said: "The boss is the reason I am here in the club. "He helped me a lot, not just this season but the seasons before. I feel very good at the club. I want to carry on like that. "I have many friends here in the club. I am five years in the club and I know everyone now — the staff, the players, and I feel like this is my home."
Supremacy
Just days before United's ultimate test, that is sweet music to Ferguson's ears, even if he claims not to have been unsettled by Madrid's attempts to destablise his leading man. Ferguson's mood of exhilaration will also be heightened by news that Ronaldo, like any great performer, is relishing a stage befitting his unique talents.
"I am the best," he claimed, without a hint of arrogance but with a look of disdain directed towards anyone who dares question his supremacy. The question that prompted such an unusual display of assertiveness is one that has surfaced constantly during a season in which Ronaldo's goals have illuminated United's bid for a Premier and Champions League double.
Does the dazzling Portuguese winger fail to deliver in the really big games against the top opposition? It clearly rankles with Ronaldo that his ability to become United's match-winner in the Champions League final showdown with Chelsea is in any doubt.
He intends to be the master in Moscow and hammers out his warning in a rapid outburst of indisputable evidence. Ronaldo said: "I scored two times against Arsenal, I score against Liverpool. Maybe I did not score against Chelsea but I scored against every other team in England. "I am very, very happy with my season. I scored 31 League goals. I don't need to show nothing to anyone. "I win every award. I need to prove nothing.
Excited
"When I hear it said that I do not play well against the big teams, it does not annoy me because I know I am the best. "This is why I am not angry. I don't care, to be honest. "Of course if I can play very good against Chelsea in the Champions League final and win the individual award it would be good but I don't think too much about that. "I have never won the Champions League and I am very excited to have this chance."
Ronaldo goes into Wednesday's final with his future as a United player under scrutiny. He himself opened the door for a possible departure by hinting that he would not make his situation clear until after the game in Moscow. But in talking about his desire to improve on a season that has seen him score 41 goals in all competitions, it is unthinkable that he will turn his back on Old Trafford this summer.
And he firmly denied suggestions which have surfaced in the Spanish media that he will quit United because they have failed to honour a pledge to give him a lucrative new contract. Ronaldo said: "I am enjoying being here in the Premier League at the moment. It is the best football in the world and I am enjoying the time when I play here. It is fantastic to play in the Premier league.
"Last season, the lads said you can't be like that again — not score 23 goals. Now I have 41. "Well, next season I don't what I am going to do. "If I don't score maybe 20 or 30, people may start to criticise me, but I'm ready for that. "I want to have another good season after the Euros. I want to work hard and I want to do my best every time. "I'm learning all the time, not just because I've scored 41 goals but because I have played very well.
Contract
"I think I have more things to learn. I'm playing with the right players in the right club to learn more and more and more and to make me a more experienced player. I want that to carry on. "I want to work more to win more titles, more awards. This is for me important.
"The Spanish papers say I am unhappy at United because I have not been given a new contract. It's not true — I haven't said that. "I think it is great just to be playing here in the Premier League and winning things — and then there is the Champions League final.
"Getting there is great. But the final is not just for playing in, it is to win." Ronaldo believes his own mood of optimism is shared throughout the United camp and has grown since they clinched the Premier title a week ago.
He said: "The best teams are in the final — Chelsea and Manchester United. It will be a quite difficult game because Chelsea play very well. "They are strong and experienced but I think we have a good team as well. We have a great spirit and I think we have a great chance."
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I think Ronaldo missed his hometown. Spain is nearer to his home and friends... It is the advantage that man Utd will never enjoy over real
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he'll become a piece of shit at real
real signs players to sell shirts and not to up their fking game
ronaldo WILL rot at madrid no matter what
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Man Utd bombshell as Cristiano Ronaldo Madrid talk resurfaces
Manchester United were hit by a potential bombshell ahead of the Champions League final after it was reported that Cristiano Ronaldo's agent has already held talks with Real Madrid about a possible transfer.
Spanish sports daily Marca reported today that Ronaldo is keen on a move to Spain and that his agent, Jorge Mendes, has discussed the matter in Moscow with Real Madrid director Pedrag Mijatovic.
"Cristiano says 'I do", headlined the newspaper, showing a picture of a smiling Ronaldo. The timing could not be worse for United as they look to add the Champions League title to their Premier League crown.
Speculation about Ronaldo's future intensified last week when Ronaldo appeared on Spanish television and suggested he could leave United once the season ended. He later played down his comments, insisting he would stay at Old Trafford as long as Sir Alex Ferguson was the manager.
Ferguson is clearly irritated by speculation that his star player could be on the move. When asked by a Spanish journalist on Tuesday about the chance of Ronaldo leaving, he said: "You get some idiots in this place, don't you. If you want to have a bet on it, I'll put a big bet on with you.''
Ronaldo is under contract with United until 2012, but Real president Ramon Calderon has made no secret of the fact that he would love to sign the 23-year-old Portugal international. Real, the Spanish champions, would almost certainly need to break the world's transfer record to sign Ronaldo.
The current record was set in 2001 when Real signed Zinedine Zidane from Juventus for £39 million. Ronaldo, who joined United from Sporting Lisbon in 2003, has scored 41 league and cup goals for United this season, helping the club to win the Premier League for the second straight season and reach their third final in Europe's top club competition
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CRISTIANO RONALDO used last night’s celebrations to tell Manchester United fans: I’m going nowhere.
The Portuguese wizard said: “I am going to stay — there’s no way I’m leaving. I feel so happy. This is the happiest day of my life.
“This means everything to me. Yet when I missed my penalty, it was the worst day of my life — I thought we were going to lose. “But I feel proud of the lads, they believed all the time. And we deserved to win because we played the better football.”
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there is no way Real can get Ronaldo for 40m but if its like 60m or more then there is no harm in selling him, not that ManU would need that money but more that at 60m they can get for themselves a top notch striker which IMHO is what ManU really need and also in order for Ronney to excels, he can't lead the line like Ruud did, but give him a front man to play to, i'll bet he would be able to bring his game a big step forward, and if ManU get themselves a top notch striker to get them the goals all that will be needed would be someone to fill the creative role which i do see Nani and Anderson being able to fulfill it in another couple of season..
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this crazy money is coming from you and me.
that why we are paying more and more money to watch EPL. the cable operator in turn try to outbid one another to get the bradcast rights. who in turn the money is use to pay the clubs fo broadcasting rights.
is make cents lah