Cristiano Ronaldo

[soggy biscuit]

Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has admitted Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer from Manchester United was agreed last summer.

Calderon, who stepped down at the Bernabeu midway through last season, stopped short of confirming a pre-contract agreement was in place since last summer but confirmed the £80million deal was always in the pipeline.

"Last season United decided not to do it because they thought it was too early and everyone agreed to do it this season," Calderon told Five Live.

"And I think it's okay for the player - he wanted to come, he said that many times - it's okay for Real Madrid and also for Manchester United, who will get a lot of money for the transfer.

"I think it's going to be big event for Real Madrid, he is one of the best players in the world. He is going to help my former club get titles next season."

It is believed an agreement was in place since last summer for the transfer despite new president Florentino Perez now taking the credit for the coup but Calderon refused to confirm there was anything official.

"Let's say that everyone involved in the operation agreed to do it this season," he said. "That is what I can say. It has happened now, it was a bit early last season."

Smacks of a former man trying to take a slice of glory for a deal that he couldn't do.

[TBM]

Exactly - apparently in 10 years Ronaldo will have made Madrid £500m in shirt sales

Unless he breaks his leg like Dave Busst..

Then the insurance company will be shitting it!

[TBM]

They reckon they will sell over 30 million shirts, which is pretty much impossible to be honest.

Not over 10 years i dont think it would be.....thats only 3m a year and Madrid are probably the worsts biggest supported club!

[Nick Shorey my Lord!]

Barca are going love this. A proper hate figure not seen since the Figo days.

[Huntley & Palmer]

They don't have 30 million fans though

[TBM]

They don't have 30 million fans though

If 3m fans world wide buy a shirt every season x 10 years = 30m

[TheMaraudingDog]

They reckon they will sell over 30 million shirts, which is pretty much impossible to be honest.

Not over 10 years i dont think it would be.....thats only 3m a year and Madrid are probably the worsts biggest supported club!

When ever you go on holiday you always see the local kids wearing more United shirts than Real, by a mile. And I’m not talking about holidays to Blackpool.

Also, when ever you see poverty programmes in Africa the kids are in United shirts and there have been United shirts spotted in Iraq being worn by locals.

United’s fan base is miles bigger than Real.

[Victor Meldrew]

They don't have 30 million fans though

They are very popular in South America in particular as well as the rest of the world so there might just be a few million out there.

[Seal]

They claim to have 287m fans worldwide.

How many of these would be prepared / able to buy a shirt is a fair challenge of course.

However as TBM says, this would be over the course of his contract, therefore there will be repeat purchasers making up a significant proportion of the 30m target.

Still a hefty target but not quite as ridiculous as it first seems.

For the benefit of TMD, Man U claim to have 333m fans worldwide.

[TBM]

They reckon they will sell over 30 million shirts, which is pretty much impossible to be honest.

Not over 10 years i dont think it would be.....thats only 3m a year and Madrid are probably the worsts biggest supported club!

When ever you go on holiday you always see the local kids wearing more United shirts than Real, by a mile. And I’m not talking about holidays to Blackpool.

Also, when ever you see poverty programmes in Africa the kids are in United shirts and there have been United shirts spotted in Iraq being worn by locals.

United’s fan base is miles bigger than Real.

Not disagreeing with that, cos Utd are a massive club too but

"For a start, Real are a massive club, with possibly the biggest footballing brand name in the world. Not coincidentally, they have topped Deloitte's Money League for each of the past four seasons and they've done so despite doing poorly in the Champions League."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/ ... 426983.ece

[who are ya?]

Arsenal have got the backing of Somalian pirates as shown on Ross Kemps programme, not really a suprise if I'm honest.

[TheMaraudingDog]

Manchester United with an estimated world wide fan base of 333 million fans, they are also the best supported club with an average of 75,000 paying fans for each home game 07/08 season. Bayern Munich are 2nd with 72,000 paying fans and Real Madrid are 3rd with just 71.000 paying fans per home game.
Manchester United also turned away an average of 12,000 fans per game because they could not get them in the stadium. where as Real Madrids ground holds over 80,000 so was very rarely full.


They can’t even fill their stadium. Biggest in worLOLd.

I’m sure Ronaldo will enjoy playing in-front of 20,000 for a Champions League group game next season though.

[Victor Meldrew]

What I would say is people said the same things when Schemiechel retired, Beckham went,VNistelrooy went, Stam went.....Ferguson like Wenger know when the time is right for players to move on. If Ronaldo isn't going to be at 100% for them next year then he's not worth having around. He didn't just turn into a superstar, a few years ago he was all show with nothing to back it up. Man Utd replace these players and always have done. Foster is ready to take over from VDS for me, Jonny Evans looks a really good young defender, they might get the best out of Rooney with him more central and they will of course buy players.

They will still be very strong next season regardless.

Wouldn't disagree with you but IMHO Ronaldo is in his prime and has had a bigger influence than any of those others and as for Johnny Evans he has been talked up but (fully prepared to be proved wrong) I think he will end up more like a Higgingbottom than a Vidic and the young black striker more of a Carl Cort than a Van Nistelrooy.
Just an opinion and as I said earlier the changes will give other teams greater hope.

[TBM]

Manchester United with an estimated world wide fan base of 333 million fans, they are also the best supported club with an average of 75,000 paying fans for each home game 07/08 season. Bayern Munich are 2nd with 72,000 paying fans and Real Madrid are 3rd with just 71.000 paying fans per home game.
Manchester United also turned away an average of 12,000 fans per game because they could not get them in the stadium. where as Real Madrids ground holds over 80,000 so was very rarely full.


They can’t even fill their stadium. Biggest in worLOLd.

I’m sure Ronaldo will enjoy playing in-front of 20,000 for a Champions League group game next season though.

I thought the Bernabeu only held about 72,000??!

[Victor Meldrew]

Manchester United with an estimated world wide fan base of 333 million fans, they are also the best supported club with an average of 75,000 paying fans for each home game 07/08 season. Bayern Munich are 2nd with 72,000 paying fans and Real Madrid are 3rd with just 71.000 paying fans per home game.
Manchester United also turned away an average of 12,000 fans per game because they could not get them in the stadium. where as Real Madrids ground holds over 80,000 so was very rarely full.


They can’t even fill their stadium. Biggest in worLOLd.

I’m sure Ronaldo will enjoy playing in-front of 20,000 for a Champions League group game next season though.

I'm sure also that he will enjoy living in or around Madrid than in or around such a miserable and souless place like Manchester.

[Silver Fox]

Will some Real fans just wear their shirts featuring the other Ronaldo's name?

[Big Foot]

United apparently offering Nani in part exchange for Ashley Young from Villa

United could have a front 3 next season of:


Benzema ---------------------------------- Rooney ------------------------------------ Young

Wow.

[Seal]

Manchester United with an estimated world wide fan base of 333 million fans, they are also the best supported club with an average of 75,000 paying fans for each home game 07/08 season. Bayern Munich are 2nd with 72,000 paying fans and Real Madrid are 3rd with just 71.000 paying fans per home game.
Manchester United also turned away an average of 12,000 fans per game because they could not get them in the stadium. where as Real Madrids ground holds over 80,000 so was very rarely full.


They can’t even fill their stadium. Biggest in worLOLd.

I’m sure Ronaldo will enjoy playing in-front of 20,000 for a Champions League group game next season though.

I'm sure also that he will enjoy living in or around Madrid than in or around such a miserable and souless place like Manchester.

Also depends on how you define 'biggest'.

Attracts the worlds best players? Madrid
Highest Turnover? Madrid
Highest average attendance? Man U
Most fans globally? Man U

Ultimately they are pretty evenly matched clubs, and at the very least Madrid aren't worthy of any kind LOL...they just took your best player for a start.

Plus if I was a womanising rich footballer....living in Madrid >>>>>>> Living in Manc

[Victor Meldrew]

Perhaps Ronaldo just wanted to go to a big club with a success record second to none rather than one that does well domestically but falls short on the Europea stage..

[TheMaraudingDog]

Perhaps Ronaldo just wanted to go to a big club with a success record second to none rather than one that does well domestically but falls short on the Europea stage..

Don’t try and bring Real down to Liverpool’s levels m8.