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Sir Alex Ferguson has put the frighteners on Real Madrid, and won the first major psychological battle by threatening to use FIFA to stop the blatant public courting up of the Man Utd hitman.

United have been so annoyed by Real’s “tapping-up” of Cristiano Ronaldo, that they warned that world football’s governing body would be alerted. That threat appears to have had the desired effect as Real president Ramon Calderon was forced into an unbelievable back down, stating that his club had no desire to encourage Ronaldo to leave.

Calderon was advised by fellow high-ranking officials at Real to stop commenting about Ronaldo for fear of a FIFA rap. “We have not interfered with United’s contract agreement with Cristiano Ronaldo,” said Calderon.

“I want to clear this up and assure them we are not going to influence any player to break a contract.

“We’re not going to start a conflict. If a club does not want to sell a player, then why would we insist that they do sell him?”

Despite Calderon’s claim that Real will only make an offer for Ronaldo if the player wants to join them, United know the Spaniards are doing all they can behind the scenes to make the move happen.

With Ronaldo having stated his desire to one day play in Spain, the steady drip of flattering comments towards him from Madrid are designed to turn the player’s head sooner rather than later, and the majority of this has been orchestrated clearly on behalf of the Spanish champions by their Sports paper alliance, Marca.

Manchester United has threatened to report Real Madrid to FIFA over the Spanish club’s public and blatant attempts to lure Cristiano Ronaldo away from Old Trafford.

Real Madrid have admitted that they want to buy the United winger, whose 42 goals for the Old Trafford club this season helped United win the Premier League and Champions League trophies.

Although Ronaldo is only 13 months into a five-year deal, Madrid is reported as saying it is willing to pay a world-record transfer of about 60 million pounds (US$118.8 million; €75.6 million) for United’s wide man.

Tired of seeing headlines on a daily basis about Ronaldo’s future, United issued a statement on Tuesday threatening to take action against the Spanish club.

“Manchester United has watched with growing irritation the comments attributed to Real Madrid over their alleged desire to sign Cristiano Ronaldo,” the club said on its Web site. “The facts are: the player is on a long-term contract and his registration is held by Manchester United. The player is not for sale. The club will have no alternative but to report Real Madrid to the world governing body, FIFA, if it continues to behave in this totally unacceptable fashion. These public attempts to unsettle the player are completely against the regulations and the club will not tolerate them any longer.”

United said Madrid’s attempts to buy Ronaldo are also a distraction for the Portuguese national squad as it prepares for next month’s European Championship.

“No one should be in any doubt that Manchester United will do everything in its power to keep its best players,” the club said.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s feelings regarding ’moral-less’ Real Madrid is no doubt going to slip to new debths, as coach Bernd Schuster confirmed to the world that Cristiano Ronaldo is his club’s number one summer transfer target.

Ferguson has already voiced his dislike of Madrid open courting for Cristiano Ronaldo and is expected to be livid by Schuster speaking about the 23-year-old Manchester United winger in a manner that would suggest the signing has been signed, sealed and delivered.

“There are other players we have been looking at but everything has slowed down a little due to all this Cristiano Ronaldo business, seeing as he is the big priority for the club,” said Schuster.

He added: “The English way has been a perfect education for a player with such exceptional individual talent.

“There he has learned to enjoy his football as a complete professional. This means we would get a Cristiano who would arrive here with his lessons learned.”

For his part, the United boss is adamant Ronaldo neither wants to, nor will be, leaving Old Trafford this summer, claiming last week the acid test of the relationship between player and club will not be faced for another two years. Ronaldo is, of course only in the second year of a 5 years Old Trafford deal.

And while Ferguson understands the clear value to him of the 42-goal Ronaldo in his squad, he also spoke of the neccesity to keep strengthening and mentioned his interest in one of United’s high-profile rivals.

“Cristiano would help us in a lot of ways, without a doubt, but we can’t stop with just him,” he explained. “He’ll be expensive and we’ll have to pay a lot of money, but we need more players because he won’t be enough.

“For a few months now we have had a plan and we know what we want, but now Alexander Hleb has been added to that plan. We didn’t know he would be able to leave Arsenal, but now it seems he will.”

The Portuguese winger has been constantly linked with a move to Spanish champions, Real Madrid for a number of years, but the speculation has become intense over the last couple of weeks, with the Real Madrid president, Ramón Calderón, claiming that he would be very excited to bring in the former Sporting player to his squad.

Ronaldo claimed yesterday, despite Real Madrid’s reported interest, he had not received an offer from the Spanish La Liga outfit. He again claimed that that updated news over his future would be released in just a couple of weeks.

However, Ronaldo has made his intentions abundantly clear after admitting that he is eyeing a move to the Bernabéu.

“I have a dream to play for Madrid. You also have dreams, no? Well, this is my dream,” he stated to Portuguese television.

However, he also offered a somewhat vague and puzzling commitment to the Old Trafford side.

He declared, “My contract is with Manchester United and is with them that I must talk.

“My deal could have some additions to it in the next two weeks, but I’ve signed nothing with Madrid.”

Robinho’s representative, Wagner Ribeiro, insisted yesterday that Manchester United would only allow Ronaldo to leave Old Trafford if someone from Real Madrid that plays in the same position, namely Robinho, was to make a move in the opposite direction.

Calderón is now aware of Ronaldo’s interest and should intensify negotiations with the British club about a summer transfer.

Cristiano Ronaldo is trying to distance himself from the intense speculation regarding his Old Trafford future by insisting that, despite being tired after his recent successes, he’s now ready to perform at the very highest level for Portugal in the Euro’s

“I have a contract with Manchester United and at the moment I am only thinking about having a successful European Championship,” he said.

“I feel a little tired today (Friday) but I am going to have a rest in order to be ready for the Euros. I’m going to arrive there in form and anything is possible.”

The winger scored an unbelievable 42 goals for the United this season, but still vows that he will improve next season and add more silverware to his trophy cabinet.

“Every season at Manchester United I have improved. This season was spectacular and I scored many goals on the way to winning two important titles for the club.

“Next year I’m going to try and play even better and have an even better season than this one.

“I played a spectacular championship, a good Champions League and I am very happy with everything. It was my first European title and I want to win it many more times because the feeling is amazing.”

Manchester United striker Ronaldo has explained his desire to improve on his astonishing goal tally of 42 next season. 

Ronaldo followed up an unbelievable 23 goals in the 2006/07 campaign by smashing 42 for United during the next season, including a record equalling 31 goals in the Premiership.

He also was the main man for United in their sucessful retainment of the Premiership and also he was fundemental in the UEFA Champions League final when he scored a superb headed goal, despite missing a penalty in the shoot out.

The Portugal international is not resting on his laurels and has targeted even more success when the 2008/09 season begin.

“Every season at Manchester United I have improved,” Ronaldo told O Jogo.

“The season was spectacular and I scored many goals on the way to winning two important titles for the club.

“Next year I’m going to try and play even better and have an even better season than this one.

“I played a spectacular championship, a good Champions League and I am very happy with everything. It was my first European title and I want to win it many more times because the feeling is amazing.”

Ronaldo’s future at Old Trafford has been debated since the Champions League final win over Chelsea on Wednesday, with Real Madrid determined to sign the 23-year-old.

The wide man come attacker has again put his future on hold, saying his priority now is to focus on Portugal’s upcoming Euro 2008 challenge.

He added: “I have a contract with Manchester United and at the moment I am only thinking about having a successful European Championship.”

United’s top man, Cristiano Ronaldo confirmed he WILL sign a new deal at Manchester United next week.

The Portuguese megastar, 23, finally abolished all the speculation and rumours about his future — which has been mainly orchestrated by Real’s ability to use Spanish newspaper, Marca to their advantage, to try and unsettle the United wide man.

Ronaldo said: “My future will be clear nedext week. Everyone will be pleased — my club as well as me.

“I think I will definitely be here next season. Yes, I want to stay.

“I have played five years for this club and I’d love to stay here.

“I love the people, the players are fantastic, the atmosphere is unbelievable, the staff are great. That is the reason I want to stay.

“We won the most important trophies this season. I want to do it again next season but no one knows the future.

“I want to stay, I feel very happy in the club. I win trophies, the people are friendly, supporters are amazing, everything is fun for me. It’s very good.”

Ferguson’s assistant Carlos Queiroz was also adamant about Ronaldo’s future.

Queiroz said: “Without doubt he will continue with United. He’s very happy with us, he has a contract and there is no fear or worry he will go.”

Ronaldo admitted it has been an astonishing turnaround since he became Public Enemy No 1 following his World Cup spat with Wayne Rooney two summers ago.

Back then he had publicly demanded a move to Madrid because he felt boss Alex Ferguson and owner Malcolm Glazer had not protected him after the Rooney row.

Now the undisputed King of English football admits the situation has turned in his favour.

He added: “After the last two years I feel the English people have been friendly to me. I enjoy playing in England but no one knows the future.”

But as far as the immediate future is concerned Ronaldo was adamant — he WILL be staying at Old Trafford.  He said: “This is a young team and we have everything to win next year.

“We want to win the Champions League again and we have a good chance. We have a good team spirit.”

The 42-goal top Premiership scorer is now favourite to be crowned European and World Footballer of the Year in December in a blockbuster season.

Yet he insisted: “Of course I can get better. The goals are not the most important thing. Maybe I will play well next year but I won’t score as many goals.

“But I’m going to try to do my best. Every season I’ve improved and I want to improve next year.”

Cristiano Ronaldo again refused to commit himself immediately to Manchester United today when asked about whether he will be at Old Trafford at the end of the season.

The Portuguese international’s future with United has been the subject of mass speculation since Real Madrid’s president, Ramón Calderón, explained his desire to bring in the top man from the Premiership.

Although the 23-year-old has spoken of his own personal desire to stay at Manchester United on multiple occasions, he unveiled upon his arrival in Lisbon that his future may in fact only be decided in a couple of weeks.

“I do not have anything with Real Madrid,” Ronaldo said. “I have a contract with Manchester United and it is with my club that I will speak to. There can be further news in the next two weeks.”

Ronaldo, meanwhile, stated that he is committed to “repeating or improving” this season’s performances next campaign, a task that will certainly not be easy after he fired an incredible 42 goals during the current season.

On Portugal’s chances at Euro 2008, Ronaldo added: “It would be fantastic to be European champion for Portugal. It is a hard dream, but we are thinking game by game.

“The first game in the group stage will be crucial. We have conditions to create a great squad.”

Ronaldo and Manchester United winger, Nani, will now travel to Viseu, where the Portuguese national squad are currently training, ahead of the opening of the 2008 European Championships

Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo assumed former great Luis Figo’s role on Tuesday as he was handed his number 7 shirt and named captain by Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.

The 23-year-old Manchester United winger – scorer of 41 goals in all competitions this campaign – will attempt to achieve something Figo never managed, guiding the Portuguese to a major senior title, having lost 1-0 to Greece in the Euro 2004 final.

Ronaldo also wears the number 7 shirt at United, which has been previously worn by George Best, Eric Cantona and David Beckham.

Ronaldo was chosen as captain over four players who previously captained the side – Nuno Gomes, Petit, Simao and Ricardo Carvalho – who are in the squad.

Portugal, who are currently training in the town of Viseu in central Portugal, are in Group A with co-hosts Switzerland, 2004 semi-finalists Czech Republic and 2002 World Cup semi-finalists Turkey. – AFP