Ferguson says Ronaldo is staying

Tommy Platinum · 07-18-2008, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Ferguson says Ronaldo is staying

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted Cristiano Ronaldo will be at Old Trafford next season and will not be joining Real Madrid.

To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 20 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Ferguson met the winger - now out for three months following ankle surgery - in Lisbon last week after speculation about the 23-year-old's future.

"It went well. We put across our points of view, where we stand and where the player stands," explained Ferguson.

"I can say he'll be a Manchester United player next season. He won't be sold."

United will hope that Ferguson's comments at a press conference during the club's pre-season tour of South Africa will put an end to rumours linking Ronaldo with a switch to the Spanish champions.

Ferguson added: "It's not a difficult position. I was on my holiday and I was not going to interrupt my holiday, believe me.

"I wasn't panicked because the player is under contract so the strength and the rights are with Manchester United.

"What we have done well is to say nothing. We've kept quiet on this matter and kept it private and what I said to Cristiano remains private."

Ronaldo, who scored 42 goals for United last season and whose contract runs until 2012, is currently recuperating after his surgery, which ruled him out of United's trip to South Africa.

Ferguson confirmed: "I did go and see him last week in Portugal and it was very amicable - there were no problems. That's where we are and we carry on.

"He's on crutches for the first four weeks, he'll be in rehabilitation for the next four and then the following four he'll be back into football training.

"The time mapped out is three months and we won't bring him back a day earlier than that.

"I think when players have operations we have a responsibility that the player comes back 100% and we'll carry that out as we normally do.

"There'll be no risk-taking - we never take risks. Our goal is to always make sure that the player gets back 100% and that will be the same in the case of Cristiano Ronaldo."

-BBC Sport

More good news for us United fans.

Dmac · 07-20-2008, 12:49 PM

Please see:

To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 20 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Tommy Platinum · 07-20-2008, 04:50 PM

He doesn't decide it though.

Dmac · 07-20-2008, 05:20 PM

Well actually the player in a way does decide it, if he doesn't want to play for the team and making it clear he doesn't want to play for the team then it is very, very stupid for a manager to keep him... i.e. Barry/O'Neill.

Tommy Platinum · 07-20-2008, 05:22 PM

Yeah but he is clearly not that desperate to leave. He would have said so.

Dmac · 07-20-2008, 05:26 PM

I wasn't relating it to Ronaldo, I was simply responding to 'The player doesn't decide'.

Tommy Platinum · 07-20-2008, 05:28 PM

The final decision is with the club though. The player has to honour his contract.

Look at Valencia's treatment of Albelda. Not saying I agree with it but it is a classic example of the club deciding what the player's future will be.

Dmac · 07-20-2008, 05:38 PM

At the expense of quality, you can keep the play against his will but he isn't going to play as well.

Tommy Platinum · 07-22-2008, 10:10 AM

That is true and that is why I would personally sell him if he wants to go.

We still don't know either way, which is ridiculous. I still say if he was desperate to go he would have said. He definitely wants to play for them at some stage, and I don't think he would reject the move there if a fee was agreed, but I also don't think he is unhappy to stay at United for another year.

He would be satisfied with either outcome imo. I can't say for sure but that is the impression I get.