Drifter
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Furious Ferguson snubs showdown with Real target Ronaldo
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has pulled out of a planned showdown with Cristiano Ronaldo in Lisbon tomorrow.
Ferguson was angered and disappointed by Portuguese superstar Ronaldo's comments on television when he appeared to agree with FIFA chief Sepp Blatter's suggestion that United were treating him like a slave.
Sir Alex was due to fly to Lisbon for what would have been the first meeting between the pair since the furore about 23-year-old Ronaldo's links with Real Madrid blew up in the European Championship finals.Tomorrow's get-together had been regarded as vital to clear the air and bring the Madrid saga to an end.
Instead, Ferguson will stay in Manchester to push ahead with his attempt to sign Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov and supervise the squad departing on Wednesday for a threematch tour of South Africa. According to a source close to the club: 'The manager was hoping to sort things out with Ronaldo but that will now have to wait until the team get back.'
United's interest in 27-year-old Berbatov was revealed by the Mail Online last January when an initial inquiry about the Bulgaria international received little encouragement from Spurs. But Ferguson is still keen and though a bid of £20million has been rejected, Spurs could be more responsive if the offer reached £30m.
Ronaldo's attitude has hardened United's resolve to make him honour at least part of the three years left on his contract.
'Nobody twisted his arm to sign the contract. He was happy to do that and can't just change his mind on a whim,' added the source. Ferguson and chief executive David Gill are in full agreement over the stance and have the backing of the club's American owners, the Glazer family.
United also plan a determined response to Blatter, whose remarks about Ronaldo are in direct contrast to those he made last January when Andy Webster broke his contract with Hearts to play for Wigan.
Webster was ordered to pay the Scottish club £650,000 compensation by FIFA. When that sum was reduced to £150,000, Blatter complained: 'The decision is damaging for football and a Pyrrhic victory for those players and their agents who toy with the idea of rescinding contracts before they have been fulfilled.'
http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/sport...bs-showdown-Real-target-Ronaldo.html?ITO=1490
You couldn't make it up.Or maybe you could.