One Step Closer

By: Ale | June 5th, 2008

My favorite player wants to join my favorite club? Seriously?

Just about every football news source is running the story in one form or another but we’ll go with Soccernet.

“

Terra claim to have carried out an exclusive interview with the Portugal international in which he said: ‘I would like to play for Real Madrid but only if it is true they are ready to pay what Manchester United ask of them.

‘However, it does not depend on me.’

The interview continued with Ronaldo stating his hope that the announcement would bring closure to the speculation linking him with a possible move to the Bernabeu.

He added: ‘From today I’m not going to talk about this topic with anyone at all.

‘I’ll only talk about this again after the European Championships. Don’t ask me any questions because I won’t answer.’

”
Sir Alex Ferguson had planned on visiting Portugal’s Euro 2008 training ground to convince Ronaldo to stay, but apparently Red Jesus ended that before it could begin.

“

Cristiano Ronaldo’s faltering relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson appeared to deteriorate further yesterday when the Portugal winger effectively banned the Manchester United manager from visiting their European Championship training camp. In an embarrassing snub, Ronaldo has told team-mates that Ferguson is not welcome in Switzerland, bringing a premature end to proposals for peace talks that surfaced in the light of his continued flirtation with Real Madrid.

Ferguson had reservations about travelling to the university town of Neuchâtel in any case, with the United manager reluctant to show his concern at Real’s interest and uneasy about intruding into the sphere of Luiz Felipe Scolari, the Portugal coach, but Ronaldo’s stance has brought an end to the matter.

The 23-year-old’s intransigence springs from anger at Ferguson’s comments last weekend that the Glazer family would rather see him sit in the stands than sell him to Real, which he believes were disrespectful. Ronaldo is understood to be furious at this perceived slight, but Ferguson was merely responding to the player’s frequent expressions of admiration for Real.

”
If Ferguson isn’t angry enough about all of this, ex United/current Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy gave his 2 cents about all this drama.

“

He’d be an important signing for Madrid because this is a club which signs the best players in the world, and that’s what Cristiano is,” Van Nistelrooy said. “Cristiano could bring a lot of things to this club. He’s young and has everything. For Madrid he would be a great signing.

”

This just keeps getting better and better.