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After Cristiano Ronaldo’s comments on Thursday when he didnt deny his desire to play in the white of Real Madrid the questions around the Bernebeu were surrounding the Portuguese front man. At the press conference after Friday’s training session, Robinho was asked his thoughts on Ronaldo and the chance of him moving to the Bernabeu for next season.

“I believe that Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the world,” he affirmed.

“He is on top; he will play in the Champions League final and must be on the verge of winning the Ballon d’Or. It is always good for players of his standard to come to Real Madrid because the coach will have better options to choose from and that can only be to the advantage of the team.”

NICOLAS ANELKA fears Cristiano Ronaldo could wreck Chelsea’s Champions League dream.

The Blues are desperate for revenge after being pipped to the Premier League title by Manchester United on the final day of the season.

But Anelka admits the Portuguese ace is the man the Londoners must stop at all costs if they are to lift the biggest prize in European football on Wednesday night.

The 29-year-old Frenchman said: “This is the most important game of our season — especially since Chelsea have never been in a Champions League final.

“We beat them 2-1 at Stamford Bridge recently, so we are quite confident.

“But they have Ronaldo, of course, who is brilliant.

“United play great football and as a result he always manages to find the gaps.

“He shines when he has the whole team playing around him but he also shines when he is alone.

“He can often make the difference on his own, so it is hard.

“But we have good defenders and we hope he has a bad day.”

Anelka has had limited opportunities to shine since his £15million switch from Bolton in January.

But the striker is confident Chelsea have the ability to beat United in Moscow — with or without him in the starting line-up.

He added: “Collectively, United are a resilient team. They all play good football and can all score.

“It’s kind of the same for us, although we have more individual stars.

“It will make for a very open match. In a final, a one-off match, everything is possible.”

Cristiano Ronaldo yesterday sparked what is likely to be a summer of feverish speculation over his future when he left the door open to a potential move to Spain, and Real Madrid in particular. Manchester United’s 41-goal star of the season announced that he would be considering his future after his club’s European Cup final against Chelsea on Wednesday.
Sir Alex Ferguson will take no pleasure in the fallout that will accompany these latest remarks but there was no mistaking the ambiguity in the 23-year-old’s words when he spoke to foreign journalists at the club’s training ground ahead of the final. Though he said more than once that he was “happy” at United, Ronaldo did not rule out the possibility that he may seek a fresh challenge. “I am happy here but let’s see what happens after the Champions League final,” he said. “I am feeling calm here. I’m happy here but in the future I don’t know.”

 

The Portuguese winger found himself buttonholed by one interviewer in particular from the Spanish broadcasters Antena 3. He pushed the interest of Real who have made little secret of their hopes of signing Ronaldo. “I have said millions of times that I would love to play in Spain but it’s one thing to dream and another thing for it to be reality,” the player said. “I don’t know the club so I can’t lie. I know Real Madrid like how I play and I know that other teams in Spain like my game as well so that’s good – but I’m happy here.”

That Ronaldo will never categorically rule out a move away from United is the biggest worry for the club, despite the five-year contract he signed in April last year for around £120,000-a-week. There are no plans to negotiate a new deal but it is obvious that at Euro 2008 this summer he is certain to make himself even more sought-after among Europe’s elite. Told yesterday that Real’s president Ramon Calderon was “obsessed” with him, Ronaldo said: “Of course it is good to know that other clubs are interested in you.”

Honoured as the Football Writers’ Association player of the year in London last night – for the second successive year – Ronaldo has always been careful not to be unequivocal when it comes to his future. The question of Real’s interest was always likely to be a thorn in Ferguson’s side and United will be frustrated he has been pushed on the point so close to the final. The club’s general director, Miguel Angel Arroyo, said that Real have the “solvency and the financial liquidity to be able to take on a signing of this magnitude”.

Real have also talked enthusiastically about the merchandising potential of Ronaldo, having realised the value of David Beckham after his transfer from United in 2003. After five years at United, if the club were to sell Ronaldo they would expect a fee close to the record £45m Real paid for Zinedine Zidane in 2001.

Ferguson also served a reminder to Avram Grant yesterday that the League title defines the best team in the country and suggested that the Israeli’s complaints about refereeing which, he claims, handed Manchester United the title was a mere ploy ahead of Wednesday’s final

“The winner is the best team in the League,” Ferguson said. “All the players have recognised that. Avram Grant is talking about next Wednesday as far as I am concerned. That [comment] was a preparation for next week.”

Ferguson, who admitted on Sunday evening that his complaints about Bolton relaxing before their trip to Stamford Bridge, were a “tickle” to gee Gary Megson’s side up, said he had “half-expected” Grant’s comments and he is evidently determined not to allow his rival’s tactics to impede his search for European glory. “We should have a better record in Europe,” he declared. “I could go on and on about assistance [from referees] because [it is] debatable. You could say we should have been champions before we went to Stamford Bridge [for the 2-1 defeat three weeks ago which threw the title back open].”

Ferguson passed up the chance to suggest that Europe’s best two sides had made it Moscow, observing that Chelsea “carried a lot of luck” in their semi-final against Liverpool. The strategy he has been working at for the past week or so is to portray Chelsea as the side of greater European experience and he was at it twice again yesterday, talking of Chelsea’s greater “maturity” – albeit providing the caveat that United have the “big game temperament”. The fact United are undefeated in the tournament “tells you everything,” he believes.

Ferguson pledged a more powerful performance than United gave in the FA Cup final defeat to Chelsea 12 months ago. “We will be fresher [in Moscow] and you can expect a better performance from us,” he said.

 

Debate on whether the polarizing Manchester United megastar really is the best on the planet never fails to rouse the emotions, but for the coach of Portugal there is no debate.

“According to me, Ronaldo is the best player in the world,” boomed Scolari.

“And I hope that he will not just be the best with Manchester United, but also with the national side during Euro.

“Ronaldo has come on a lot as not only a player, but also and especially as a human being.

“However, the national side is not just dependant on Cristiano Ronaldo. If that was the case it would hardly be worth playing in the finals,” added the Brazilian, who is desperate to bring success to his adopted country during the big show in Switzerland and Austria this summer.

Ronaldo has amassed an astounding 41 goals during what has been a glorious season for United, but arguably has never quite managed to fulfill his potential on the international stage.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Sir Alex Ferguson have scooped more awards for Manchester United’s Premier League title win.

Ronaldo has been named Barclays Player of the Season and winner of the Golden Boot award while boss Ferguson has been named Manager of the Season.

It is the second campaign in succession that Ronaldo, 23, has won the Player of the Season accolade.

His 31 league goals won him the Golden Boot while Ferguson, 66, picked up the top boss award for the eighth time.

Ferguson has won 10 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, two Scottish leagues and two European titles during his hugely successful spells with Manchester United and Aberdeen.

Ronaldo has reached a level unmatched in the Premier League

Ronaldo’s final total represents the first time a player has scored more than 30 goals in a season since Alan Shearer’s 31-goal haul for Blackburn Rovers 12 years ago.

In addition to his award, Ronaldo will receive £1,000 for every goal scored to be donated to a charity of his choice.

The decision was made by the Barclays Awards Panel, which includes representatives from football’s governing bodies, the media and fans.

United will be aiming for a Double when they face Chelsea in the Uefa Champions League final in Moscow on 21 May.

Real Madrid general director Miguel Angel Arroyo claims his club have the financial clout to pull off the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo has emerged as the Spanish champions’ number one target this summer, with reports suggesting they would be prepared to part with around £100million to sign the Manchester United star.

Madrid president Ramon Calderon described the capture of the 23-year-old as ‘almost impossible’ yesterday, but on Arroyo told Spanish newspaper Marca today that if their bid fails, it will not be because of a lack of finances.

‘Real Madrid have the solvency and the financial liquidity to be able to take on a signing of the magnitude of Cristiano Ronaldo,’ Arroyo said.

‘It would be economically beneficial due to the merchandising that would arise from it.

‘If it is not possible for the club to sign, it would not be because of money but for other reasons.’

Ronaldo has been in stunning form this season, scoring 41 goals en route to firing United to the Barclays Premier League title and Champions League final.

Cristiano Ronaldo has denied reports that he would consider a move to Real Madrid by insisting Manchester United is the perfect club for him. Real are keen to take Ronaldo to the Bernabeu stadium and reports this week claimed the Portugal winger would listen to an approach from the Spanish champions.

Bernd Schuster’s side are said to be considering a 100 million pounds (125 million euros) offer which would test United’s determination to keep English football’s two-time Player of the Year.

But Ronaldo insists he has no intention of leaving Old Trafford because he is in the right place to develop his prodigious talent.

 

I’m at the right club, playing with the right players and I learn things all the time,” Ronaldo told MUTV.

“That’s what great about being at United. I improve all the time and I want to improve every season. I think I’m a better player now than five years ago.

“This season has been a great one for me - I’ve scored a lot of goals, the team have played very well and we’re champions. It’s amazing.”

Ronaldo’s 41-goal haul has helped United retain the title and reach next week’s Champions League final and he admits the season has been beyond his wildest dreams.

It’s a great feeling to win the league - I don’t have the words to describe how it feels to be champions, it’s amazing,” he said.

“I didn’t think it would go to the final day of the season, but to be honest the feeling is better [to win on the last day].

“When the ref blew the final whistle it was brilliant. We’ve worked hard for nine months and I feel very proud to be champions.”

The undoubted best player in the world at the moment, Cristiano Ronaldo believes he could score 50 goals for Manchester United next season after striking 41 times during his side’s current Premiership season.

Ronaldo’s first half penalty against Wigan on Sunday helped United win the English title for the 10th time in the last 16 years,  and took his league tally to 31 - equalling Alan Shearer’s Premier League record for a 38-game season.

The Portugal star’s fantastic haul this term, boosted by another 10 in the Champions League and FA Cup, has played a massive role in United’s title success and their Champions League final appearance.

It is even more unbelievable considering Ronaldo often plays as a winger rather than a striker but he sees no reason why he can’t reach a half century of goals next year.

“Fifty? I don’t know. I’ll try my best. I don’t look for goals, I look to play well and if the goals are coming, it’s good,” he explained to MUTV

“I think I’ve not just improved this season; I try to improve every year. I’m better now than five years ago.

“I think at the right club, playing with the right players, you learn all the time. This season has been good for me because I’ve scored many goals and the team have played fantastically to win the Premier League.”

United’s victory at the JJB Stadium was part of a fantastic day for Ronaldo, who was voted the club’s Player of the Year by their fans and his team-mates at an awards ceremony at Old Trafford later on Sunday, along with scooping the Fans player of the year, his stunning free-kick against Portsmouth was also voted the club’s goal of the season.

Ronaldo admitted the feeling when the final whistle confirmed United as champions was unforgettable.

“Sometimes you don’t have the words to say what it feels like to be a champion. It’s amazing,” he said.

“I would have preferred it if it was at Old Trafford because the atmosphere would have been brilliant but we won at the JJB and it’s very good to be champions.”

With the title retained, Ronaldo is focused on winning the Champions League for the first time. United have pipped Chelsea in the league and now face Avram Grant’s side in Moscow on May 21.

Ronaldo knows United have the momentum after their domestic success and he can’t wait for his first appearance in Europe’s showpiece match.

“It’s going to be fantastic if we win the Champions League. The feeling is going to be amazing if we win,” he said.

“In the final you never know, it is 50-50. I’m very happy and proud to play in the final, this is my first time.

“I feel very excited, the lads have belief and it is a great opportunity for all of the players. The lads want to win and of course I want to win as well.

“We have a great opportunity. Why not? I’m sure in this game that if you have the opportunity to win, you win.”

Manchester United’s triumph over Chelsea in a desperately close title race was not just down to one man. Too many others played their part at vital times for that to be the case.

But if you are looking for the single biggest reason why the trophy is staying at Old Trafford, then an individual has to come to the fore - Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro.

The Portuguese maestro’s 31 league goals did not just make him only the fifth man in Premier League history to reach the 30-goal landmark. They also proved crucial in helping Sir Alex Ferguson’s men finish top of the table - Chelsea simply did not have a goalscorer to match.

RONALDO’S GOALS FOR MAN UTD
2003/04: 6 in 39 games
2004/05: 9 in 50 games
2005/06: 11 in 46 games
2006/07: 23 in 53 games
2007/08: 41 in 49 games

Whether United deserved their success for their more stylish approach can be debated. But the fact they earned more points and scored more goals cannot and as his side’s top marksman, Ronaldo undoubtedly made the difference. With the Champions League final still to come, he has already hit 41 goals in all competitions for his club so far over the course of a prolific campaign - a tally only bettered at United by Ruud van Nistelrooy and Denis Law.

Ronaldo also managed three for his country this season (part of an overall personal tally of eight in Portugal’s successful Euro 2008 qualifying campaign) to enhance his iconic status in his homeland.

Fast and full of tricks, the 23-year-old has menaced defences since he arrived from Sporting Lisbon in 2003. But in his early days in England he managed more step-overs and dubious dives than goals or assists. That is no longer the case as Manchester City and England defender Micah Richards, one of the few men to have kept Ronaldo quiet this season, told BBC Sport.

“The best thing about Cristiano now is his finishing,” said Richards.

“Every time he has a chance he seems to put it away and that is the biggest difference between this season and previous ones - he has got that end product now.

“He used to be all about dribbling but he does not really do that so much anymore. He just gets in the right positions to allow him to run straight at defences.

“There are areas in every player’s game where they can improve - but the thing about the best players is that they have consistency and Ronaldo has shown that this year.”

 
Ronaldo has been in deadly form with his set-pieces this season

Many of Ronaldo’s goals from this extraordinary season will live long in the memory, but it is his free-kick against Portsmouth in January that really stands out, an exocet of a shot that dipped into the top corner and left Pompey keeper David James helpless.

His technique in generating top-spin when shooting from set-pieces - a new string to his bow this season - is something special.

And it is the fact that Ronaldo continues to add these attributes to his game that has impressed Blackburn keeper Brad Friedel the most.

“In my opinion he is the best player in the world,” Friedel told BBC Sport.

“Every so often, the top players just go through periods where they are in the zone and he is in one at the moment. But not only that, he is a tremendous professional who keeps coming up with something new.

“In November he scored twice against us. One was a header after we failed to man-mark him at a corner and the other was on a counter-attack.

“We played them again in April and in that time he developed that new free-kick of his.”

When it comes to keeping Ronaldo quiet, Richards and Friedel both agree on one thing: it is not easily done.

If you are defending against him, do you mark him closely, try to stop him running at you, or cut off his supply?

MAN UTD’S TOP LEAGUE SCORERS
Cristiano Ronaldo: 31
Carlos Tevez: 14
Wayne Rooney: 12
Louis Saha: 5

CHELSEA’S TOP LEAGUE SCORERS
Frank Lampard: 10
Didier Drogba: 8
Joe Cole: 7
Michael Ballack: 7

“All of the above,” Friedel suggested. “But some luck goes into it and it depends how the game is panning out.

“If you let him have time and space to run at you with the ball and you keep backing off then he will kill you.

“You have to try to impose yourself on him as high up the pitch as possible but I am not saying it is easily done.”

Ronaldo missed United’s defeat by City at Eastlands in August through suspension after he was sent off for a head-butt against Portsmouth in the second game of the season.

And he was subdued in the return at Old Trafford in February as City claimed a shock 2-1 win.

“We went out to play our game but we knew we had to stay tight to him because he could hurt us,” Richards added. “It was definitely a tactic to challenge him as early as possible.

“There is still a way of stopping him, same as every player, but when he is having a season like he is doing, then it is hard to do.”

You can count the poor games Ronaldo has had this season on one hand and Ferguson’s decision to give him a free role is a major factor behind his magnificent form.

 He has scored a lot of goals against the lesser teams in the Premier League but he will be judged on what he does on a bigger stage

Man City defender Micah Richards on Ronaldo
But just as important is the way the entire United side is set up to get the most out of him and his fellow front-men Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez.

“A lot of how good Cristiano is down to how successful United are as a complete team unit,” said Friedel. “They can attack with five or six players and are an exceptional side going forward.

“They interchange positions so frequently that it is difficult to call one player an out-and-out striker or midfielder.

“When they go forward they are the most difficult team to play against right now. Chelsea are more machine-like - they will grind out results whereas United will run over you.”

When United are in full flow, Ronaldo has inevitably been their fulcrum, hence his deserved double in the Professional Footballers’ Association and Football Writers’ player of the year awards.

Yet nagging doubts persist over his performances in the crunch games. However often he has destroyed average sides, he still needs to become the conqueror of a brilliant one.

“Whenever someone is doing well, somebody will put them down,” Richards added. “But I suppose that is where you separate the man from the boys.

“He has scored a lot of goals against the lesser teams in the Premier League but he will be judged on what he does on a bigger stage.

“He has got Euro 2008 in the summer and we will see what happens then - when you have one of the best players in the world in your side then you expect to do well.”

The game in which Ronaldo truly defines the early part of his career could come in Moscow on 21 May or in Austria and Switzerland this summer.

Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has spent the last few years playing down the importance of Ronaldo to his team.

But Sergio Krithinas of Portuguese tabloid 24 Horas told BBC Sport: “To the fans he is almost the national side on his own.

“Everyone sees that we depend on Cristiano to have a good Euro 2008. He is the centre of every hope that we have, but Scolari is trying not to put too much pressure on him.”

But even Scholari has had to start talking about Ronaldo’s excellence, telling Brazilian radio station Globo that a Fifa world player of the year title would be richly deserved.

 
Scolari has been impressed by Ronaldo’s development

Scolari said: “Cristiano has developed not only as a player but as a person.

“He showed great potential at international level before he turned 18 and he is proving now that he is a great player.

“If he follows this way, growing as a player and as a man, he will surely be considered the best in the world, I have no doubts about it.”

The Premier League title is in the bag - but it should be just the start of a memorable summer for Ronaldo.