Premier League - Ronaldo 'signed six months ago'

Eurosport - Fri, 12 Jun 12:29:00 2009

Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon claims he secured an agreement to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United six months ago.

2008-2009 Cristiano Ronaldo - 0

Calderon says a "gentleman's agreement" existed before he left the Spanish giants in January, but it was kept secret.

Real have had an £80 million offer for the Portugal international accepted by United, less than two weeks after Florentino Perez returned as the Bernabeu club's supremo.

Perez has been credited with immediately instilling the 'Galacticos' culture of his previous reign, with a deal for Kaka clinched earlier this week.

However, Calderon, who came close to signing Ronaldo last summer, insists he was responsible for much of the groundwork and said: "We were in touch with the player. That is the important thing to know now.

"As far as I knew he got the agreement with the club. He wanted to leave at the end of this season. That was what he agreed with the club and therefore it was easy, knowing the player wanted to come to Real Madrid to get a deal let's say.

"We agreed everything and he decided to come. Let's say it was a gentleman's agreement in order not to bother Manchester last season because (Sir Alex) Ferguson also wanted to keep the player. For this reason we decided to wait until this season and that is what has happened."

PA Sport / Eurosport

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  1. I hate Ronaldo. A foolish idiot. manchester united­ rules

    From sandra, on Mon 15 Jun 10:28AM

  2. noemadeira, who the f*k do u think u r. english r best.­ phil k please reply 2 this. phil k is a f*kn legend.­ ronaldo=greedy scumbag

    From paulinafghan, on Sun 14 Jun 8:03PM

  3. the EU should punt Spain out of the EC for this @#$%

    From pegez, on Sun 14 Jun 6:28PM

  4. PEACE OF­ SH..............................................

    SWI..­ ..

    WORF.....

    YELLOW...

    From noemadeira, on Sun 14 Jun 2:50PM

  5. phil k JUST ANOTHER STUPID IGNORANT THAT THINK ENGLISH­ ARE THE BEST. LIKE MOST OF YOU JUST NOW HOW TO DRINK­ PINTS AND TALK NONSENSES AND FIGHT *LIKE ANIMALS. THE­ MOST FALSE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD. THE FOREIGNERS ARE NOT­ BARBARIANS THEY SAY WHAT THEY THINK . THEY DON'T­ PRETEND TO BE WHAT THEY ARE NOT. YOU worthless HUMAN IF­ YOU CAN BE CALLED THAT

    with respect for the little­ percentage of normal ones

    From noemadeira, on Sun 14 Jun 2:49PM

  6. MESSAGE TO USER "PHIL K": PHIL, ARE YOU­ COMPLETELY RACIST TO ANYTHING THAT IS NOT COMPLETELY­ ENGLISH WHITE?? YOUR COMMENT NUMBER 112 ATTACKS­ ANYTHING/ONE FROM CONTINENTAL EUROPE, ASIA, AFRICA -­ AND ALL THIS BASED ON RONALDO'S TRANSFER?? ARE U­ SURE YOU DON'T WORK FOR THE BNP [IN YOUR SPARE­ TIME] MATE??
    BECAUSE RONALDO IS PORTUGUESE IS­ INCIDENTAL, HE COULD HAVE BEEN ENGLISH JUST LIKE­ BECKHAM, OWEN OR MACMANAMAN THEN WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE­ SAID HATER??

    From michaelebohon, on Sun 14 Jun 1:25PM

  7. Latest news around Europe Is that Villa is certain to­ join madrid in the next couple of days, Barca look like­ they will get Ribbery Who are you going to buy is the­ 80 million in one sum or more than likely instalments­ like the Beck's Rooney deals well just about most­ big money deals are done that way, with the 50% tax in­ the uk most players would favour Spain with the big tax­ breaks and the strong Euro, United wont land any world­ stars whats for sure.

    From Kristina, on Sat 13 Jun 12:07PM

  8. Good luck to CRon in Real!! At least he'll help the­ club minimise their 2 - 6 goal difference against­ Barca. With him next time the score is gonna be 5 - 6­ with some Ronaldo goals. For sir Alex!, everyone who­ loves and watches English football knows he's gonna­ surprise everyone as ever again. More than twenty years­ of experience is no joke!. And for those who hate CRon,­ Please! Please! Please!, you started hating this guy­ after the incident with Rooney in the World Cup.­ Everyone loves his country including Ronaldo. I­ don't blame him but we are tired of your hatred.

    From Xooberry, on Sat 13 Jun 6:41AM

  9. all the best 2 him show me the money

    From Paul J, on Sat 13 Jun 3:20AM

  10. The world is coming to an end..80 f****g million for a­ ball in a net, in this era of economic crisis;­ that's what makes that transfer insane.........WHY­ THE HELL AM I STUDYING when ballheads are kicking it

    From Stephen-Ekpei Alfred Uche, on Fri 12 Jun 11:37PM

  11. just another way of wastin so much money. theres a­ credit crunch goin on & with that amount of money­ somethin could be saved of all these jobs that are­ disapering.
    does no one care?
    is everyone so­ heartless?
    money is just a greed to these people.

    From emma, on Fri 12 Jun 9:54PM

  12. i wished, am a star, by which, my situaion would have­ changed 4 better than ever bfore, i never knew that­ football would pay like this! my God, even they are­ more heavy than a president of a country,well God bless­ every star equel oooooooooo, cos am a gospel actes!­ good look all actes! Ogbonna Frank!

    From chibunna, on Fri 12 Jun 8:47PM

  13. i wished, am a star, by which, my situaion would have­ changed 4 better than ever bfore, i never knew that­ football would pay like this! my God, even they are­ more heavy than a president of a country,well God bless­ every star equel oooooooooo, cos am a gospel actes!­ good look all actes! Ogbonna Frank!

    From chibunna, on Fri 12 Jun 8:41PM

  14. Fergie, most succesful manager at United! He has­ produced winning teams over a long period, if you are­ brave enough to tell him (face to face) that he has got­ it wrong, then go ahead!!
    He will put a team together­ next season that will be the envy of many­ managers/clubs in Europe.
    Eat your hearts out, Hull,­ Sunderland and all the other also runs who will­ struggle for years to come!

    From Tony G, on Fri 12 Jun 8:15PM

  15. To John B
    Schmeichel played premier league football for­ a further 5 years. Keane's managerial failure is­ hardly the fault of his former club. Beckham is in the­ form of his life at Milan, who want to sign him. He­ still plays international football. Stam went to Milan,­ and won a scudetto and a champions league. Van­ Nistelrooy, ironically enough, went to Real Madrid,­ scored for fun and won La Liga. I'm not even a Man­ Utd fan - i'm a Liverpool fan through and through,-­ but your comments are ridiculous. Even if the players­ you mentioned were awful after United - and they­ weren't, - that would only prove good business­ sense from united's point of view in getting rid of­ them. What you ought to have pointed out is that Man­ Utd have sold 30 goals a season, and Rooney, Berbatov­ andTevez aren't prolific enough to compensate as­ individuals or collectively. United are taking a big­ risk in assuming they will find another 30 goal per­ season player this summer. Benzema is good in France­ but he just won't get 20 in the Premier league.­ Villa is on his way to Real Madrid (along with all the­ rest). Ribery is a terrible finisher. Eto'o­ isn't leaving Barca. What other options are out­ there for United?

    From quinneamonn, on Fri 12 Jun 7:15PM
  16. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    To Jayhol3,

    Lets talk about a few of those Man U­ 'greats' ...Cantona (now making bad commercials­ and movies), Keane (brought Sunderland to the brink of­ relegation), Becks (touting his trade in a fourth rate­ American league)... god only knows what obscurity Van­ Nistleroy, Staam and Schmiekel went into.

    Most of your­ supporters don't even speak English (even the ones­ from manchester!). Those that do, drive cars at people­ when they lose. You win trophies?...didn't do so­ well in the CL final though. You should be embarrassed­ to represent English football after a performance like­ that.

    We don't hate you, we feel sorry for you.

    From John B, on Fri 12 Jun 6:49PM

  17. I'm with you on every count Biker B. I wouldn't­ trade places with the nonce for all the Brylcream in­ china.

    From John B, on Fri 12 Jun 6:39PM

  18. Paid too much, all players... wtf it's just crazy­ now..

    From Si, on Fri 12 Jun 6:26PM

  19. i just like to say let him do what ever.we are not­ getting payd for it so get on with it ronaldo

    From Kirsty, on Fri 12 Jun 6:19PM

  20. Selling him on for 80 million after buying him for 12­ million looks like pretty good business to me...got a­ few trophies along the way too...

    From Stephen N, on Fri 12 Jun 6:17PM
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