Real Madrid pay $131,528,041.65 transfer fee to buy Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United[views:6029][posts:21]__________________________________ [Jun 11,2009 9:11am - brian_dc ""] LONDON - Manchester United accepted a world-record transfer offer for Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid on Thursday, clearing the World Player of the Year to negotiate personal terms with the Spanish club. The Premier League champions received an unconditional offer of $131 million for Ronaldo, and unlike last offseason is willing to see its 24-year-old star join a major European rival. United said: "At Cristiano's request — who has again expressed his desire to leave — and after discussion with the player's representatives, United have agreed to give Real Madrid permission to talk to the player. "Matters are expected to be concluded by 30 June." Madrid confirmed the offer for Ronaldo in a statement, saying: "The club hopes to reach an agreement with the player in the coming days." The Portugal winger, who joined United from Sporting Lisbon in 2003, spent last June pushing for what he called at the time a "dream move" to Madrid. An unsuccessful complaint about Madrid's pursuit was made to soccer's world governing body FIFA and a move was blocked by United manager Alex Ferguson, who traveled to Lisbon to persuade his player to stay at Old Trafford. That didn't stop Ronaldo being linked with Madrid, and Ferguson's irritation boiled over in December when he said he "wouldn't sell Madrid a virus," describing the club as a "mob." But now a world-record bid appears too hard to resist for a club whose debts have spiraled to nearly $1 billion. Ronaldo, who was under contract until 2012, plunged his future into doubt after United lost the Champions League final to Barcelona last month, saying he wasn't sure if would stay. This came despite having vowed to remain with United in the buildup to the match and even in a broadcast interview conducted with himself. The return of Florentino Perez as Madrid's president has changed things as the billionaire looks to spend lavishly to return the Spanish side to the glory days of its "galactico" era. Brazilian star Kaka was signed away from AC Milan earlier this week for a reported fee of around $92 million. But the offer for Ronaldo would eclipse that, as well as the $65 million Madrid paid to lure former France striker Zinedine Zidane away from Juventus in 2001. Ronaldo's arrival could strengthen Madrid's position as world soccer's richest club based on revenue. According to accountancy firm Deloitte, Madrid earned over $512 million compared to second-place United's $455 million. On the pitch, though, Ronaldo would be joining a club which just had its first trophyless season in three years, while United won a third straight Premier League title, the Club World Cup, and the League Cup. Ronaldo finished as United's top scorer again, despite not matching the 42-goal haul in the 2007-8 campaign when Ferguson's side won the Champions League and the English title. However, Ronaldo was viewed by some as a divisive influence at United, openly challenging Ferguson's authority. In the last weeks of the season he angrily swiped at some TV equipment while shaking his head in clear annoyance when substituted against Manchester City. When he missed a shot against Wigan, he answered Ferguson back from the pitch while shrugging his shoulders. Former United manager Tommy Docherty said Thursday that relations were clearly strained with Ferguson, as they had been with David Beckham before he was allowed to join Madrid in 2003. "You can't have disharmony," said Docherty, who was manager between 1972-77. "With ($151 million), they should cut their hands off with Ronaldo and run and give Real Madrid the problem." http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_spo...ord_131m_real_.html#ixzz0I7vJOsPT&D http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_spo...ited_accepts_record_131m_real_.html |
| __________________________________ [Jun 11,2009 9:12am - brian_dc ""] THAT IS SO MUCH FUCKING MONEY FOR ONE PERSON. |
| ________________________________ [Jun 11,2009 9:24am - xmikex ""] [img] This thread has been hijacked by a real sport. And the last time I saw Ronaldo play he was like 40 lbs overweight, and Brazil looked like a team of recovering chain smokers in the world cup. |
| __________________________________ [Jun 11,2009 9:26am - brian_dc ""] Different Ronaldo. |
| __________________________________ [Jun 11,2009 9:32am - brian_dc ""] Also, America is such a faggot. |
| ________________________________ [Jun 11,2009 9:34am - xmikex ""] fucking Ronaldos |
| __________________________________________ [Jun 11,2009 9:41am - HeavensJail_nli ""] This is a good thing, because he's not on the same team with Wayne Rooney any more, so the chance that next year's Champions League will feature C. Ronaldo's balls getting stepped on just skyrocketed. |
| __________________________________ [Jun 11,2009 9:42am - brian_dc ""] HAHAHA. Yes. But those two really do get along. It's a disappointment. |
| ______________________________________ [Jun 11,2009 9:45am - SkinSandwich ""] [img] |
| __________________________________ [Jun 11,2009 10:40am - oscarct ""] xmikex said:[img] This thread has been hijacked by a real sport. And the last time I saw Ronaldo play he was like 40 lbs overweight, and Brazil looked like a team of recovering chain smokers in the world cup. real sport? by real you mean stopping play every ten seconds? |
| ___________________________________ [Jun 11,2009 10:43am - brian_dc ""] oscarct said: xmikex said:[img] This thread has been hijacked by a real sport. And the last time I saw Ronaldo play he was like 40 lbs overweight, and Brazil looked like a team of recovering chain smokers in the world cup. real sport? by real you mean stopping play every ten seconds? this |
| ______________________________________ [Jun 11,2009 11:23am - Davemmonic ""] am glad Man-U will let him go cuz Ronldo is a good player but hi is a fucking scumbag anyways even though he gets alone with Rooney he does challenges Ferguson's authority so he needs to go |
| ____________________________________ [Jun 11,2009 11:25am - dreadkill ""] that's nothing compared to the googolplex dollars saint to sinner paid to get rich bova |
| _________________________________ [Jun 11,2009 12:30pm - xmikex ""] By real sport I mean the best conditioned athletes in the world playing one of the most complex team sports ever invented. Soccer is pretty cute though. |
| _________________________________________ [Jun 11,2009 12:34pm - AndrewBastard ""] Ronaldo maybe a faux hawk sporting douche of a person but his is an incredible player; there is no denying that. As a Man U fan, I'm a little bummed...I don't know if we can continue to own the PL w/out Ronaldo but I guess this'll give Chelsea or Liverpool a chance to finally win the UEFA cup again. ;) |
| __________________________________ [Jun 11,2009 12:40pm - oscarct ""] xmikex said:By real sport I mean the best conditioned athletes in the world playing one of the most complex team sports ever invented. Soccer is pretty cute though. soccer players are WAY better athletes then football players..fat does not = conditioned\ your po9st pretty cute though |
| _________________________________ [Jun 11,2009 12:58pm - xmikex ""] Albert Haynesworth 6'6" 320 lbs and runs a 4.8 in the 40. Who's more athletic? The guy playing every down wrestling other 300+ lineman and sprinting for tackles, or the guy jogging for 60 minutes without ever worrying about contact? Devin Hester is 190 and runs a 4.27. How many soccer players that weigh 40-50 lbs less than him can pull off a sub 4.3? |
| __________________________________ [Jun 11,2009 1:00pm - brian_dc ""] 4 |
| _________________________________ [Jun 11,2009 1:07pm - oscarct ""] xmikex said:Albert Haynesworth 6'6" 320 lbs and runs a 4.8 in the 40. Who's more athletic? The guy playing every down wrestling other 300+ lineman and sprinting for tackles, or the guy jogging for 60 minutes without ever worrying about contact? Devin Hester is 190 and runs a 4.27. How many soccer players that weigh 40-50 lbs less than him can pull off a sub 4.3? when it comes to conditioning I say the guy running for 90 minutes |
| _________________________________ [Jun 11,2009 1:07pm - oscarct ""] not saying football players arent unbeliveable athletes, just when it comes to conditioning |
| ____________________________________ [Jun 11,2009 1:15pm - arilliusbm ""] oscarct is right - i'd have to argue that futbol players are more conditioned than football players. it's like comparing a long distance runner to a sprinter. although, I'm sure some NFL positions (WR for example) require the same amount of conditioning. |
| ________________________________ [Jun 11,2009 2:00pm - xmikex ""] I should mention at this point in the conversation that I really enjoy world cup soccer. Who would I take in the Boston marathon between David Beckham, and Maurice Jones Drew?... David Beckham. Who would I take in a marathon-like competition that involved sprinting, wrestling, jumping, and skill maneuvers between Ronaldinho and Troy Polamaulu? Polamaulu any day of the week. Soccer players, and football players work entirely different sets of muscles. One trains for endurance, and the other trains to endure long sets of short but intensely physically demanding bursts. It comes down to what your idea of an athlete is. For my money I'm going with the the freakish athleticism types as found in the NFL. |