Real 'passive spectators' in Ronaldo saga
Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon today reiterated the Spanish champions are “passive spectators” in the Cristiano Ronaldo saga.
The Manchester United winger has yet to reveal his future plans with Madrid attempting to lure him to the Bernabeu after a long, public courtship.
The capital club’s conduct has angered United, who reported Madrid to world governing body FIFA over what they considered to be attempts to unsettle the player.
FIFA refused to take any formal action, however, and Calderon is adamant his club have done nothing wrong.
“I suppose they think we have intervened in some way,” he told Madrid radio station City FM. “But it’s not like that and that’s the truth.
“We know that it’s something between the player and Manchester United. If the player continues to insist that he wants to come and if United will consider letting him go, then we’ll ask.
“If the price is right and everyone’s happy, then it won’t turn sour. I prefer not to talk much about him because he is a United player. We are in this situation as passive spectators, but his declarations have provoked a lot of expectation.
“Nevertheless that is not enough because the player belongs to United, a great club that we are friends with, and we don’t want to interfere.
“If it was me, it would make me proud that the big clubs were asking about our players.”
Ronaldo’s United contract runs until 2012 and the club are anxious to dissuade any possible suitors.
Calderon is happy to wait until the European champions’ stance changes.
“He is a great footballer,” he continued. “But it is not up to the player nor to Madrid. Manchester don’t want to sell him.
“It seems to me that he has become a bit of a ’hot potato’ at United. But I don’t want to talk about that because what I say could be misinterpreted.”
If United are forced to sell they would likely demand a world-record transfer fee of €85m for the 23-year-old, but Calderon insists it is too early to put a price on the deal.
“It seems a lot of money to me, but I don’t want talk of this issue to continue,” he added.
“It’s something that we have to put to one side because it has caused a lot of unwanted arguments.
“It seems to me too soon when we have not started talking to United. And the only thing that we know is that the club won’t sell the player.”
Calderon did insist, however, that Madrid will not pay over the odds.
“There are things that we can’t even think about when United aren’t ready to sell, but in whatever operation we do we are careful not to put in risk our good administration, and that is what we will do.”
