FIFA president Sepp Blatter's condemnation of what he sees as "modern slavery" in the game has been met with criticism in the game but the man whose situation prompted his comments believes they are correct.
When asked about the torturous transfer saga involving Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United and Real Madrid, Blatter insisted players should be allowed to play where they wanted and pinpointed a trend towards "slavery" in clubs' transfer dealings.
Professional Footballers' Association chairman Chris Powell refuted those suggestions and called for him to retract the comments, while UEFA reacted by highlighting the spiralling wage demands of players.
But Ronaldo, who has failed to commit himself to United and given mixed messages about Real's obvious interest, has now supported Blatter's stand, but refused to shed any more light on the proposed transfer.
"I agree with the comments of the president of FIFA. What he said is right," he told Portuguese channel TVI.
"At the moment there is no agreement with Real Madrid. We have to wait for the next few days to see, but I do not know where I will begin next season.
"This is all I have to say at the moment."
Regarding his injury, the winger confirmed he would be out for as long as three months but remained upbeat about his rehabilitation.
"I'm very well. I'm optimistic. My recovery is going well. Everything is fine."
The League Managers' Association, meanwhile, fear there could be long-term repercussions from Blatter's comments.
Chief executive Richard Bevan said: "His remarks are extremely ill-considered. There are no benefits to clubs or players in what he said.
"It just confirms he is out of touch with the issues of professional football.
"The transfer system is underwritten and regulated by FIFA. It is the cornerstone of developing talent right up the football pyramid.
"We also have the important issue of sanctity of contract. Ignoring the nonsensical comparison of a player on £120,000 a week to a modern slave, it is a very poor choice of words."
The PFA, not to mention UEFA, have also been perplexed by Blatter's comments.
PFA deputy chief executive Mick McGuire told Sky Sports News: "It is so inappropriate that he loses any credibility in his argument.
"There are some words that should never be used in such a context. The word 'slavery' gets people wound up and destroys any argument that he has.
"I think he does it for effect. By focusing on the Ronaldo's future it creates the greatest interest.
"But I believe he does have a responsibility, considering his position, to look at things in a more measured and controlled way."
UEFA have played down Blatter's suggestions and communications director William Gaillard said: "It would be useful to remind people that slaves in all of the slavery systems never earned a wage.
"It is obvious that today players have a lot more power than they did 20 years ago, undoubtedly, and agents have a lot more power than they did 20 years ago.
"It is true that salaries are spiralling out of control. Many clubs have pointed that out."
More news from SportingLife.com
Comment 1 - 18 of 18
ronaldo won every cup and competition in england now he wants a new challenge and man u wont let him go? but when they want to sell (beckham, van nistlerooy and all the goalkeepers that came after schmiecel) they get rid of you in the middle of your contract but no one asks how come the club can do it and not the player! hypocrites and if they dont release ronaldo than they are holding him as a slave. just because you sign a piece of paper doesnt mean an employer owns your soul.
ronaldo won you the champions league -Dean_ManU . man u will be shyte without him. ha ha lol
i think we have had enough of ronaldo saga, let mau concentrate on maintaining the success of last season and get a possible replacement for this ronaldo. it is glaring that ronado heart is no longer with manu, he think he has achieve his aim of making manu the stepping stone and training ground to greatness and he must be a man enough to say it loud and direct that he want to join real madrid. for the comment of blatter it is very unfurtunate that a whole FIFA president can make such a recless statement. ronaldo is not a slave but a multy minionare. sir Alex, pls get rid of this baby man ronado and let face the future for good. dont you see that he almost cost us champions league?
Since the day he arrived at Old Trafford, Ronaldo was always going to Real, it was always a question of when. I think United would have liked to keep him for a couple of more years, but primarily because United always knew that one day he would head off for sunnier climes, and having turned him into a marketing dream, they wanted to milk it for as long as possible. Ronaldo has just had the best season of his career, and now believes his own publicity. There is a lot of talk on these posts about money he supposedly earns (who does he tell?) and what he has been offered (again who is he telling this to?). Does anybody realy believe that Peter Gill and Sir Alex are twiddling there thumbs or sitting idly by whilst Ronaldo decides his fate? I think it is now inevitable that he will go this summer, (but he was always going to go sometime), but i dont believe its disloyalty or greed. Ask yourself if you supported a club and had the chance to play for them, would you? Time for people to take a reality check.
..."poplawskisebastian"...Yeh !- That too, MAKES Good SENSE, where,apparently, there seems to be NONE, on this "FERGY-RON" SAGA!
The other, alternative VIEW, which I find Temptingly, CLOSER, to the "TRUTH"is NOT, the Breaking or Interrruption, of a CONTRACT!!(WAYNE Roony,DID it from EVERTON to Man.U)BUT the FACT, that Man.U's "Stock SHARE VALUES" HELD by Sir Alex+Glazer Crowd,and LARGELY Gained ON THE BACK of Players, such as RONALDO,(Much in Particular)WILL TUMBLE
should the "GOLDEN GOOSE" FLY All the way to the IBERIAN Sun..!!-LONDON
I am not condoning Blatters' statements because I think they are ridiculous. But strictly on the matter of him going to MAdrid, i think it makes sense. Unless he has some burning desire to taste Carling Cup Success, he's won everything there is to win here and it only makes sense that he should leave. I'm a Chelsea fan and I don't care either way but tell me if you agree.
If that is what being a slave is i would happily swap the c*#t jobs.Man u should just fine Ronaldo and keep him, give him a @#$% job cleaning boots and toilets see if he likes that.
SO...Now... BECKHAM, Adds his VOICE in SUPPORT of RONALDO,TOO !
His Abridged Interview,Reports that BECKHAM, finds that RONALDO, DESERVES the "Souleil D'Or"..(GOLDEN BOOT TROPHY) for the WORLD's BEST PLAYER !!- Everyday, WE see NEW Amazing Surprises in the "FERGY-RONALDO" Saga..!-First F.I.F.A's President(Blatter) RUSHES to his DEFENCE..then U.E.F.A.'s Chairman(Platinni)not to be Outdone,SCURRIES, to SUPPORT RONALDO's "Slave" Claims...ALL the Football World's BIG GUNS,Have DRAWN the LEGAL, MORAL and FINNANCIAL Battle Lines, by RONALDO's SIDE...!
SOMETHING is Very WRONG SOMEWHERE..!!- And NOW that, QUEIROZ, has Jumped the BOAT...and Accepted a DESERVED TOP Management Position, Elsewhere..I ONLY HOPE, this SAD,DARK, Page in MAN.U's Glorious Football History..comes to a GRACEFUL END,to BOTH, whatever, RONALDO Decides.-LONDON
so ronaldo you are beaten everyday made to eat scraps from your masters table and made to work all the hours sent and more GROW UP boy, thousands a week to eat what you want play a few games a year, come on, slavery having a sore nkle and and a tough decision that you are not making does not a slave make.
i totally agree with jamie r.......get the common sense back in to football!!!
The day FOOTBALL CLUBS, stop Raking the Milions, to their SHAREHOLDERS "Undying and LOYAL LOVE OF MONEY"...Yes..then we may see the END of the "Spiraling Costs" of their MONEY LOYAL Players too..! - Come Right, are WE ALL so RETARDED..?-What' this "LOVE" about??- For the "GAME" ? ..yes!- For the PLAYERS? ..yes..!for "US..SUPPORTERS" /..yes !!-But..I'm Damned, "IF" the Glazers and "Other" SHARES (Sir Alex's Included) are SPIKING, on the "BACK OF GREAT PLAYERS"..!!- Cheers, RON, you GOT "BALLS"...!!-LONDON
get rid of cr and blatter both are fools. blatter has no respect for the prem and ronaldo is a big baby who wont say where he's goin to do incase he upsets any1. he's a fool who should jus go, i mean he seems to be sitting out waiting on a bigger contract. fool get rid of him.
Ok this is beyond a joke now and i,m so surprised Utd and especially Sir Alex and the Glazers have,nt kicked his A** out of Manchester for good.This big headed,over rated,arrogant,cocky and prima donna is wasting the time of the club,is throwing loyalty back at the club and the fans is breaking a longterm contract he signed.You don,t wanna play for a club then don,t accept the big money and sign a new contract.
All he seems to do is dive,whinge and cheat,all he can do is flicks and tricks all the time at totally unneccesary times,Yes he can score goals but mainly he is a show off,He could have cost us the champions league with that dozy penalty attempt in may.
I hope he does go soon as with the money we will buy 2 or 3 better players.He won,t last long in Madrid,they will kick his legs into a plaster cast with all that diving and cheating he does.
Plus i won,t miss thas disgusting acne riddled "boatrace" and his "look at me i,m gorgeous" expression.The tool is a deeply ugly pus faced grease monster!! Ronaldo may you rue the day you left the champions of england you hypocritical moron.
if he want to go just let him go. im so sick of his act. i used to like him but now not anymore. ronaldo u can kiss my @#$% !!
Your heart goes out to the poor little @#$%! Being forced to graft for £150,000 a week!...... cause he has an option to walk away completely if it's that unbearable, an option that 'slaves' don't normally get. Blatter has way overstepped his position this time.
One more thing...FIFA President...He's not a Slave for your information. He's a Millionaire running and diving on a football pitch. Slaves are found elsewhere earning nickles and eating left overs
i am so sick of ronaldo, when beckham left i said, dont worry guys we have ronaldo, a true great, better than golden balls and i was right, he has everything, a great player... but! he is a winging little girl it seems, man utsd made him the player he is, man utd fans remember how he used to fall over, how he used to make stupid decisions and made an @#$% out of himself on occasion but at utd he has taken a raw talent we all saw and turned it into a great footballer, a great footballer that has to get out of our lives, his deprture wont hurt utd anywhere near as much as his staying might... get it over with and get him gone! if nothing else it will mean we will be able to stop reading about calderon and blatter who are the most annoying people... EVER!
"UEFA reacted by highlighting the spiralling wage demands of players"
Thats easily rectified, don't pay these ridiculous wages, I reckon I coud struggle by on fifty grand a week. get the common sense back into football.
Please login to post a comment
Not already a Yahoo! user ? Sign up to get a free Yahoo! Account