The 24-year-old Ronaldo joined Real Madrid for a record 80 million pound deal and Ferguson said that the Portuguese striker still has lot of time to make a return to Manchester later in his career.
“He may come back, you never know. Sometimes it happens that way. He loved United. If you look back at the six years he had with us, he never missed training,” Ferguson was quoted as saying by The Mirror.
“That’s one of the things he has above all other players - he was never injured, he always played. And his best is yet to come. He’s only 24. He came to the right club at the right part of his career.
“He could have gone to Real Madrid, Barcelona or other clubs. But he came to the right one and appreciates that. It was always his intention to make his move,” he added.
Ferguson admitted that Ronaldo’s absence is a huge loss and it would be challenge for the team to overcome it.
“He’s the best player in this world by absolutely miles, streets ahead of Lionel Messi, and Kaka.”
He went on to add that in Ronaldo’s absence, United will have to play in a different way.
“We will be more compact, with a different shape in midfield. We will have an increasing maturity in players like Darren Fletcher (left), and Owen Hargreaves will come back, so I don’t think we’ll be bad,” he said.
Source: Indo-Asian News Service
There were none of the designer trappings we’ve come to expect from David Beckham.
When Cristiano Ronaldo finally stepped off the Real Madrid bus outside BMO Field in Toronto last night, he was dressed in a simple team warm-up jacket and shorts.
Gone, too – temporarily at least – was the ear-to-ear grin we’ve come to expect from the world footballer of the year, whose meek expression bore testament to the transatlantic flight he and his travelling band of galacticos had undertaken earlier in the day.
Still, it mattered little to the boy band-style welcoming committee outside the home of Toronto FC, which was just happy for a first-hand glimpse of the Portuguese boy wonder, with his carefully coiffured hair, designer dimples and washboard abs, who has succeeded Beckham at both Manchester United and Real Madrid, and if last night’s turnout is any indication, may be on his way to supplanting the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder in the hearts of the 7-to-17 female demographic.
Of course, unlike Beckham in his prime, Ronaldo can legitimately claim to be the world’s best player, not merely its most recognizable, although a summer dalliance with Paris Hilton a couple of months back won’t exactly hurt him in that department.
A 42-goal campaign the season before last led Manchester United to the Champions League crown, as well as the English league title, and ignited a relentless pursuit by Real Madrid that finally ended this summer with his $145-million capture by the nine-time European champions.
In recognizing the risky proposition that the club undertook in investing such a staggering amount in just one player, Real Madrid were quick to insure Ronaldo’s most important asset – his legs.
Of course, while some may quibble with that assessment, he will certainly need them if he is to live up to the illustrious comparisons to Madrid’s past. Ronaldo has already inherited the legendary No. 9 shirt, worn most famously by Argentine Alfredo di Stefano, now the club’s honorary president, and recently the club’s career leading goal scorer, until he was overtaken by current captain Raul last season.
An abject Euro 2008 for his native Portugal aside, Ronaldo seems to thrive on pressure, and is no stranger to inheriting famous shirts, having worn the legendary No. 7 at Old Trafford, a number made famous by Beckham, and the original celebrity soccer player, the late George Best.
Nicknamed El Beatle by the Portuguese press in his heyday, Best was also no stranger to single, and sometimes married, women, and once promised to drink Canada dry after seeing an advert for the soft drink.
There’s probably no danger of Ronaldo doing the same, although he certainly has the money to give it a go. Still, it would take more than that to upset his fan base.
“He’s worth every penny,” said Stephanie, of Oakville, Ont., a young woman dressed in a Real Madrid crop top wrapped in a Portuguese flag. “David Beckham was good in his prime but he’s a little done now. He’s had his moment and it’s his time and he’s the new David Beckham, he needs to shine. He’s like him, but in a newer, stronger, younger age that Beckham never had.”
Source: theglobeandmail.com
Celebrating the career of teammate Michel Salgado, Cristiano Ronaldo was spotted attending a Real Madrid team dinner last night (August 5).
The soccer stud was looking tip-top as usual, sporting a white button-up shirt teamed with a pair of dark wash jeans and brown shoes.
In related news, Ronaldo’s former boss Alex Ferguson told press that although he can’t replace Cristiano, he has his eye on eight wunderkinds that may be able to do more for his team than Ronaldo did.
He explained, “We knew we could never replace Ronaldo. No matter what anyone says about the lad, for me he is the best footballer in the world. When you’ve had someone who is the best at what he does, it is no good trying to find someone to do the same job. And when you know you can’t replace someone or something, you look for a different way.”
“People have misread our situation and they have under-estimated our ability to improve players. That is an area where we have proved successful in the past. We are expecting a lot from Evans, Welbeck, Gibson, Macheda and the Da Silva brothers. And Nani and Anderson have already shown good things, but they will improve this season. We will miss Ronaldo’s goals, that’s obvious. But Berbatov will do well this year. And Rooney and Owen are both capable of getting 20 goals. So we’ve got plenty of options.”
Source: gossipcenter.com
Cristiano Ronaldo, world soccer’s Player of the Year, will move into a 1,000 square meter (10,764 square feet) home in Madrid after joining Real Madrid for a world-record fee.
The 24 year-old winger has signed a deal to occupy the property in Pozuelo de Alarcon, 15 kilometers west of central Madrid, according to an official from Gilmar, the property broker that managed the deal. She declined to be identified by name or comment on whether Ronaldo will buy or rent the property and how much he will pay.
Properties in that area sell for between 5 million euros ($7.2 million) and 10 million euros, said Fernando Encinar, co- founder of Idealista.com, Spain’s largest real estate Web site. Rents range from 8,000 euros to 18,000 euros per month, he said.
The property has 5,000 square meters of grounds and is part of an estate that has a “great deal” of security, she said. Phone calls made to the office in Porto of Jorge Mendes, Ronaldo’s agent, went unanswered.
Real Madrid agreed to sign Portugal’s Ronaldo from Manchester United for 80 million pounds ($135 million) in June.
Source: bloomberg.com
Cristiano Ronaldo’s thighs of steel have been insured by Real Madrid for a staggering 100 million euros (or U.S. $144 million).
Real Madrid is attempting to protect themselves in case Cristiano, 24, ever gets seriously injured during a soccer match, according to Spanish newspaper El Mundo.
Ronaldo Injury Hurts Club Finances
While the sum may sound extravagant, the amount realistically quantifies Cristiano’s dollar value to Real Madrid in terms of market and monetary income. In June, Real Madrid shelled out a stunning $131 million transfer fee to acquire the Portuguese international winger from Manchester United. That amount (which was only the transfer fee) does not include Cristiano’s lofty salary of over $18.7 million a year.
The insuring of Ronaldo’s legendary pins comes shortly after Czech footballer Zdenek Grygera delivered a vicious kick to Cristiano’s leg near the knee during a recent friendly.
While Ronaldo was given a clean bill of health by club doctors, the potentially damaging injury underscored the soccer phenom’s huge financial value to Real Madrid. Cristiano’s popularity impacts the club’s advertising contracts, stadium ticket sales and merchandising revenue.
Interestingly, Ronaldo had indicated he was looking forward to playing in Spain because the style of football there was less combative than in England.
“Football in England is different; it is more physical,” said Cristiano. “There are some teams who know they can’t compete with you on a football level, so they just kick you. It’s frustrating and something needs to be done to protect the skillful players, because one day someone will get seriously hurt.”
‘Undisputed Best Player’
Ronaldo, who played with Manchester United from 2003 to 2009, scored a staggering 118 goals for United in 292 appearances. What sets Cristiano apart from other players is his consistency and peak athletic form, said United boss Sir Alex Ferguson. [Find out Cris' diet & workout secrets here]
“That’s one of the things [Ronaldo] has above all other players: He was never injured, he always played. He never missed training,” said Ferguson. “His contribution as a goal threat is unbelievable. His stats are incredible. He is easily the best player in the world.”
Ex-Girlfriend Drama
Meanwhile, Cristiano’s personal life was in the headlines again when he dissed ex-girlfriend Nereida Gallardo outside a nightclub in Majorca, Spain on Aug. 1. Ronaldo was walking to his car after an evening at a disco when the skanky Gallardo, 26, tried to approach him to say hello. Paparazzi photos clearly show that Ronaldo did not make eye contact with Nereida, who was quickly escorted away by security guards.
Gallardo pleaded with security staff to let her through by insisting, “But he is my ex-boyfriend.” However, an uninterested Ronaldo ignored her and continued walking. Maybe it’s because after their brief romance ended last year, Nereida talked trash about Cris in numerous tv and tabloid interviews. Ain’t karma a beyotch?
The Spanish soccer season begins Aug. 29.
Source: examiner.com
To deflect some of the stick that normally comes his way.
It will be a close-run thing to see who gets more grief as Manchester United run out in Porto on Wednesday.
Rooney because of his red card for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho’s nuts in the World Cup quarter-final in Gelsenkirchen in 2006.
Or Ronaldo because he is Ronaldo and a former Sporting Lisbon player.
Sunday, though, will be different, as Rooney is put through the wringer by Evertonians in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.
What United have to be this week IS united. And never more than in their support of Ronaldo.
For if both management and supporters are not 100 per cent behind him, not only will their defence of the Champions League come to an end in the Estadio do Dragao but they will drive him even further into the warm embrace of Real Madrid.
Especially after the news last week that United’s debt has now reached £700million.
Alex Ferguson’s veiled criticism of his superstar — giving the ball away in particular — has probably been overplayed.
But there is no escaping the general muttering around Old Trafford in the past few weeks that Ronaldo has gone off the boil.
Well, how long did United punters actually expect him to be steaming away like a household kettle?
He cannot score 30 to 40 goals every season. He cannot get United out of a hole every weekend.
OK, he did not play particularly well against Aston Villa but he still scored two of his side’s three goals.
And, no, nor did he have his best game against Porto. Yet all we hear is how he lost possession against both sides in the build-up to goals — despite the fact there were more pivotal errors after his own.
Has anyone actually been studying Nemanja Vidic recently? How his form has dipped dramatically? How he has also been giving the ball away? And Jonny Evans? And John O’Shea? And Gary Neville? And Patrice Evra? How Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick have hardly stepped up to the plate, either? And then there is Dimitar Berbatov.
Now here we have a player who really is disinterested and sulking, two of the charges levelled at Ronaldo. Just 13 goals in 35 games and 10 in the last 28, Berbatov has proved a massive letdown.
Ronaldo, by comparison, has 20 in all, 10 in the last 17 and is joint-top Premier League scorer with Nicolas Anelka. Yet he is the one who gets most of the aggravation.
For one reason. Because even more, maybe, than Rooney, his standards are so much higher.
Well, he is going to need all the support he can get on Wednesday.
Just over three years ago, United were beaten 2-1 by Benfica in Lisbon to finish bottom of their Champions League qualifying group.
Ronaldo was mercilessly taunted by his former club’s arch-enemies.
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The winger reacted with a petulant kick that earned him a booking and then, as Benfica came back from a goal down to lead 2-1, missed a good chance for the equaliser.
He was eventually subbed to the huge delight of the home crowd.
He can expect more of the same in a game United will probably have to win to reach the semi-finals — outside of 3-3 or 2-2 and penalties.
The task is not made any easier by Porto’s home record against English sides — P12, W5, D7, L0. Yet they are far from unbeatable. Dynamo Kiev won 1-0 at the Estadio do Dragao only last October.
If United are to survive, they will have to produce their best away form at a time when they are struggling and in a season where they have won just one away Champions League game — 3-0 in Aalborg.
Their best chance is if Ronaldo is in the right frame of mind.
And, recalling Roy Keane’s red card for stamping on Porto keeper Vitor Baia the last time they were there, if they all stay on the pitch.
thesun.co.uk
Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly set to meet up with the fastest man on the planet, Usain Bolt, in a bid to become even quicker.
The news is likely to instil further fear into Premier League defenders who already struggle to cope with the Portuguese international’s pace and trickery.
According to the Independent on Sunday, Bolt is a huge Ronaldo fan and will meet up with the player in the summer with a view to improving his sprinting.
The 22-year-old Jamaican will be in Europe for the World Championships, which take place in Berlin in August, and will take time out to give Ronaldo some pointers.
His manager, Ricky Simms, confirmed that the meeting between the two superstars will take place.
“It’s definitely going to happen,” said the Irishman. “We’ll sort something out this summer when Usain comes to Europe.”
The Jamaican stunned the world last summer at the Beijing Olympics when he won three gold medals, in the 100 metres, 200 metres and 4 x 100 metres relay, smashing all three world records in the process.
The Independent on Sunday reports that Bolt is a huge football fan and that the proposed meeting between the two came about when he asked Ronaldo for a signed shirt for his collection.
The Man United winger was apparently happy to comply with the request, in return for sprinting lessons from the world’s fastest man.
Gill Clark, Goal.com
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Luka Modric has admitted today that he cannot stand the “theatrics” of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The pair came face-to-face in the League Cup final on Sunday and the Manchester United winger was booked for diving on that occasion.
Croatian midfielder Modric has told Sportske Novosti that, even though he respects the Portugal star, he is not a fan of his diving.
“Ronaldo is a fantastic player and I do not have anything against him, but I cannot stand his theatrics,” he declared.
“In England, it is a man’s game and his continuous complaints and dives have a negative effect. I do not know why he needs to do it all the time.”
The Real Madrid target has received plenty of bad press in the past for his theatrics but he does not seem to be cleaning up his game completely.
Ronaldo was one of the men who stepped up to score a penalty for United in the League Cup final, whilst Modric declined the chance to take one for Spurs.
Following his failure in the European Championships last summer, he admitted that it is a problem for him.
“I need to get over the fear,” the Croatian international explained. “I do not want taking penalties to become a continuous problem for me.”
James Walker-Roberts, Goal.com
In just 465 days Cristiano Ronaldo may well get his expressed wish of visiting South Africa should Portugal qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 2010.
The Manchester United and Portugal star was talking to Kick Off editor Neil Greig at Old Trafford, Manchester during the launch of Nike’s Mercurial Vapor Superfly boot.
Asked whether he had been to Mzansi and what he knew about the country, the winger said: “Last season Manchester United went there and the lads say it is an unbelievable place to go. I hope to go there one day too.”
Speaking right at the end of what was an interesting 40 minute press conference, Ronaldo looked more comfortable and relaxed than when he first walked in, joking and smiling relaxedly by the end of proceedings.
“I know quite a few parts of the world, but not South Africa. I wish to go there one day,” he said, perhaps identifying with the majority of South Africa’s children, having also spent a large part of his youth playing street football in Madeira, Portugal.
His message to South African kids who want to emulate his journey from the street to the glittering heights of an international career is a simple one. “I started to play sometimes in Madeira in the street. The kids there still love to play football and all would love to be professional footballers one day,” he explains.
“What the kids (in South Africa) have to do is believe in themselves and try all the time. Everyone has an opportunity and if someone catches the opportunities it is very good. But believe is the best word.”
Goal.com
Cristiano Ronaldo believes that Manchester United are well capable of capturing all five trophies on their hit-list this season, after a triumphant visit to Wembley on Sunday afternoon ended with them adding the League Cup to the World Club Cup that they collected in Japan prior to Christmas.
The Red Devils won the title by beating Tottenham Hotspur on penalties after an energy-sapping 120 minutes of goalless yet gripping action, with goalkeeper Ben Foster, normally the understudy to the awesome Dutchman Edwin van der Sar, stepping up to make crucial saves to keep the game goalless, as well as keeping out Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara’s spot-kick in the shoot-out.
And United’s Portuguese superstar is confident that he and his team-mates have what it takes to collect a ‘clean sweep’ of silverware this campaign.
“It is quite difficult to achieve but we are going from game to game,” he told English tabloid The Sun, after the game.
“We always have the opportunity to win everything. We’ve won this cup and now we don’t have much time to celebrate.”
United are seven points clear in the Premier League, face Fulham in the quarter-final of the FA Cup, and their Champions League tie with Inter of Italy is deadlocked at 0-0 after the first leg in Milan last week.
Zack Wilson, Goal.com
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