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Ronaldo: Will he stay or will he go?
Cristiano Ronaldo's ego is as impressive as his goal tally and commitment is a trait he seemingly pays little regard to. Matthew Day asks what the future holds for the world's best player.
Cristiano Ronaldo is a Real Madrid target
Cristiano Ronaldo’s ego is as impressive as his goal tally and commitment is a trait he seemingly pays little regard to. Just ask some of his former girlfriends.
Joking aside, his flirtation with Real Madrid threatens to get out of control and Manchester United appear to be constantly on the brink of losing their life-long sweetheart.
The Spanish club, aided by their public-broadcasting propagandists Marca, are treading a fine line between over-indulgently praising the dazzling midfielder and tapping him up. President Ramón Calderón’s most recent statement, encouraging Ronaldo to force his way out of the club, has finally triggered a response from the man who needs him most.
Sir Alex Ferguson accused Real Madrid of having “no moral issues” and launched an angry tirade at a club who possess a bizarre superiority complex, seemingly based on the glow the players’ egos emit from the Bernabéu rather than on any tangible grounds.
Manchester United have outdone Madrid in virtually every department over the last several years, regularly picking up domestic league trophies and now topping that with a Champions League triumph. Real Madrid have not seriously challenged in Europe for half a decade.
Ferguson is intent on keeping Ronaldo, whose value is estimated around £60m, “Real use this Marca newspaper as a vehicle to unsettle players. Real Madrid are not the only club interested in Ronaldo. But the others are not saying so. They don’t get into this nonsense. Calderon makes that great statement ’slavery was abolished many years ago’. Did they tell General Franco that? Give me a break.”
The Scot’s wit shone above any genuine lingering fear that this Portuguese phenomenon will walk away.
Ronaldo’s motivations for joining Madrid are unclear. Assistant manager Carlos Queiroz, who spent a year as coach there, has already warned the 23-year-old that the glittering image which surrounds the club is fallacious while the set-up in Manchester is far more stable and productive than of their counterparts in Madrid, where fresh coaches arrive every year or two and success is inconsistent. Surely the promise of better weather is not what’s driving Ronaldo away?
Currently the best player in the world and destined for the Fifa World Player of the Year award amongst others, Ronaldo initially declared he would stay before briskly changing his tune, Steven Gerrard style.
He first told ITV that he would stay, oddly reminiscent of what Gerrard asserted following Liverpool’s Champions League triumph of 2005, before intimating his future lay elsewhere, “I don’t promise nothing. I don’t promise nothing to my mum, I don’t promise nothing to supporters. We are going to see in the next two weeks, I don’t say I make a decision.”
Perhaps he is bargaining for more money in a new contract with his current employers, but the uncertainty is unhelpful as Manchester United start planning for next season. There is no way they will let their star leave, but if Ronaldo’s head continues to be turned by Madrid’s very public offerings, they might have an unhappy player begging for out on their hands.
Predicting the future is ill-advised, but it is becoming increasingly clear that one day soon Ronaldo will head to La Liga, probably with Real Madrid. Until that time, Manchester United appreciate they will have to keep refuting the rumours, keep their most talented performer content, and most importantly of all, keep giving him a reason to stay.
The Premier League is the place to play football - more money, more silverware. As the new kings of Europe, United can look down at Madrid with a cocky smirk, but if the trophies dry up Ronaldo will be given opportunity and motive to request a transfer.
For now, however, United hold all the aces and could not be in a stronger position to declare that Ronaldo is all theirs, and for keeps.
Prospective lovers will be made to wait for their turn.
Should Ronaldo be sold for the right price?
Share your views in the comment section below.
Tags: Alex Ferguson, Champions League, Cristiano Ronaldo, La Liga, Ramon Calderon, Real Madrid
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Tough one, Man U would not have won anything this season without him, his 40 goals made the difference between 1st and 3rd and also kept them in the CL but if he is not comitted then it is difficult to keep a player who has his eye somewhere else.
The comment about Real not being competetive in europe for 5 years is daft as Man U havn’t been competetive in europe for just as along and Real have just won back to back league titles. I think the difference between the two teams is Ronaldo, whichever club he chooses will be more successfulk over the next 5 years as long as he can recrfeate his form.
Dex - do you realise that Real have not qualified for the CL quarter finals for the last 4 seasons, they have won an incredibly poor Spanish league twice but all evidence is they are not in the top 10 teams in Europe (if you take footballing performance rather than ego). Man U were in the semis last year and almost never miss out on the quarters.
ronaldo should go we are tierd ot him and also i dont blame him becos his from poor background thats why ………….we made him who is he today so we owe him alot.
man united fan from ghana
ronaldo will be a big fool to leave man united becos he is happy there and i dont see why he will leave………i still dont get him i hope he remember what man united made him today and he owe us alot.
mallam nuhu again from ghana .
i will like ronaldo to stay at oldtraford for my wish to him.and i want to know more if his going.pls send it through my e-mail thanks
yes hes goin and wery happy ke odi i toa brzo
badshurat,,,,,,,,kabadi………….bangi………..chamar
ronaldo should try to do more to live up to his christian name. he should do the same as kaka and show his belief and love for his LordJesusChrist . bless him for his God giventalents
Dude, I travel to europe a few times a year. Ive been to England and Spain many a time.
I could see myself move to Spain. Not England. (am Im canadian, so its not the cold)
The weather, the women, the weed, the food, the wine, the jamon iberico, the women, the people, the culture, the women, (I know, I know…but it deserves to be said often)
Madrid isnt Barca but it sure aint the aptly named ‘warehouse city’ which is stunningly depressing and grey.
Its not as bad as Liverpool but then again Beirut looks better than Liverpool in the places it wasnt bombed.
Ronaldo is a hetero right?
Then definitely not Manchester.
Or anywhere in england as a matter of fact.
Whatever your say about the effiminate portuguese, he has at least some common sense. Skanks like Paris Hilton and bimbos from reality show The Hills tried to hook up with him in LA clubs and the tabloids claims he shot them down big time.
Seems Crissy has heard of penecillin.