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In Sunday’s edition of Spanish sports paper Marca, Real Madrid’s president Ramón Calderón hit back at Sir Alex Ferguson’s previous remarks about the conduct of Madrid in the tug of war over Cristiano Ronaldo.

Fergie had slated Calderón and the Madrid management for attempting to unsettle United front man,  Cristiano Ronaldo via the media - particularly in the pages of Marca - a charge that the president absolutely denies.

“I’m shocked by what he said about us. I don’t understand Ferguson,” he said to Marca.

“Real Madrid have behaved perfectly over the Cristiano Ronaldo issue. What we’ve always said is that he’s a player under contract and that United aren’t a selling club - that’s all.”

Calderón has recently stated that United cannot prevent Ronaldo from one day heading to the Bernabéu, although they clearly can do for at least the next 4 years, as he is currently only in the second year of a five year deal at Old Trafford.

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.

Real Madrid’s desire to land Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo is such that they even have a club car ready and waiting for the Portugal star, Marca sports daily reported on Saturday, clearly in another attempt to try and unsettle the Manchester United front man. It is now clearly becoming an obsession of Real’s to get Cristiano to go over and play in La Liga.

“Is that the definitive proof?” asked Marca, headlining a photograph showing a brand new top of the range Audi, along with a handwritten notice on the dashboard bearing the legend: “deliver to Cristiano Ronaldo”.

Another notice includes the words “sponsorship Madrid,” implying the motor is destined for the club, with which it has a sponsorship agreement.

According to Marca, the vehicle is in an Audi parking lot in Spain.

There has been feverish speculation for weeks in the Spanish capital that Ronaldo, having now led United to the Premiership and Champions League double, will quit Old Trafford for the Bernabeu although he has four years left on his existing contract.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson on Friday launched a stinging attack on Real, accusing the Spanish champions of ‘lacking morals’ in their attempts to lure Ronaldo.

The Manchester United manager is furious at statements made by Real coach Bernd Schuster and president Ramon Calderon questioning whether Ronaldo really wants to stay at Old Trafford and accused them of attempting to unsettle his player.

“The simple facts are that he is with us and has four years left on his contract and that’s the first thing. And Calderon makes that great statement ’slavery was abolished many, many years ago’. Did he tell Franco that? Jesus Christ, give me a break.

“Do you not think we’ve not had many interests from the big clubs in Europe about our best players? Of course. But they don’t get into the nonsense that they (Real Madrid) get into. And they’ve no moral issues at all. They think that they can ride roughshod over everyone but they won’t do it with us.”

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

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Manchester United’s future continues to be the subject of intense speculation after Spanish newspaper, Marca published news that he has communicated to Real that we would welcome a move to the Spanish giants.

The topic has visibly annoyed Red’s  boss Sir Alex Ferguson who said that anyone that asked him about the matter was an idiot after a Spanish reporter sought his reaction in Moscow.
According to the Madrid-based daily sports paper, Ronaldo has told Madrid, “yes, I want to” when asked whether he could be tempted to leave Old Trafford for the Bernabéu.
The report states that authorised club sources leaked the information and that president Ramon Calderon’s dream is moving to reality.
United are clearly unhappy with Madrid and their use of the media to try and unsettle Ronaldo and the latest twist could well see the English giants lodge an official complaint with Uefa and Fifa.
Calderon promised to sign Cesc Fabregas and Kaka in his pre-election manifesto two years ago along with Arjen Robben and the Dutchman is the only player he has been able to land.
With Fabregas and Kaka now out of reach, Los Merengues are continuing to try and persuade Ronaldo to join them, but appeared to be firing a blank on Ronaldo aswell. For the Spanish giants to lure Madrid would take a monster offer, as Cristiano is currently in only the second year of a 5 year old trafford deal, and any approach would defintely get short shrift from Fergie.
Under the previous president, Florentino Perez, Madrid managed to use the tactic of forcible negotiation to sign Zinedine Zidane and Brazilian striker Ronaldo after long and drawn-out transfer sagas and Calderon is hoping that he could achieve the same outcome, however during Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure at Old Trafford he has never sold a player against his will, and why would he allow his club to be stripped of his crown jewels now?

Double player of the year, Cristiano Ronaldo will not be allowed to leave Manchester United at any price according to the club’s chief executive David Gill in an interview prior to the Champions League final in Moscow on Wednesday.

Ronaldo has been repeatedly linked with a world record, 100 million pounds move to Real Madrid over the last year and the Portugal winger recently refused to rule out the possibility of a switch to Spain in the future, sparking frenzied media speculation that the Moscow game would be Ronaldo’s last game for Manchester United.

But Gill insists that Ronaldo is going nowehere. Ronaldo will see out his contract at Old Trafford.

“Without doubt we are. He’s got four more years (on his contract) until 2012, he’s been with us for five years and we’re sure he’ll be with us for many years to come,” Gill said.

“He’s clearly one of the best players in the world and he’s at a great club, winning trophies.

“He enjoys it immensely here, you can tell that when you speak to him privately. Why would he want to leave?

“We have no intention of letting him go, we will make sure that he’s very happy here, as we do with all our top players.”

Reports on Tuesday claimed United have debts of around 764 million pounds but Gill doesn’t believe that will force them to cash in on their prize asset.

“Manchester United is not a club that sells its main assets,” he promised.

“In order to service our debts we need a very successful team on the pitch, and you don’t achieve that by selling Cristiano Ronaldo.”

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.”

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.

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.”