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Ramon Calderon: Manchester United boss Ferguson “is no friend of Real Madrid”

February 10, 2010 | La Liga | 41 Comments | Bookmark and Share
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Madrid in the summer

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Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has claimed that Sir Alex Ferguson tried to sell Cristiano Ronaldo to Barcelona and the Scottish boss "is no friend of Real Madrid ."

The Manchester United manager famously said he would not sell Real Madrid "a virus" but Cristiano Ronaldo moved to the Bernabeu last summer for a world record transfer fee.

Calderon said: "Cristiano reached an agreement on December 8 2008 with Manchester United to come to Real Madrid . There was no negotiation about this, the signing was already done. I did my bit. The player, in a gesture of good faith and clear desire to come to Madrid, agreed to a clause which could have inflicted a financial penalty of €30 million."

The ex-president added: "But then Barcelona and Inter Milan tried to sign him too. It was a difficult situation because for United that would have solved the problem. It's very well known that Alex Ferguson is not a friend of Real Madrid , does not see Madrid in good light because they are sporting rivals, in trophies and European competition."

Calderon continued: "If he had gone to Barcelona it would have been very good because it would have allowed them to resolve that problem and would have taken away a great player from Real Madrid . But you have to say that the player remained firm and decisive in not going to another club that wasn't Real Madrid . He rejected them and that is certain.''

Since leaving Manchester United , Cristiano Ronaldo has been a major success in Spain despite picking up two red cards in the Primera Division. The Portuguese forward has scored 15 goals in 16 matches in La Liga and the Champions League.

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ronaldo became a prima donna....self opiniated.......and everyone knows manutd dont like prima donnas.....in his last season at united....he scored....only 25 goals...as against 42 the year b4........this year manutd have scored 14 more goals so far ....that is without ronaldo.....manutd were glad to get rid of him.......
anton,February 10, 2010
So SAF is no friend of Real Madrid? I dont think he ever claimed to be. Real Madrid are no friend of anyone. They are not a well run club and have no morals. If they get into debt, which they do regularly, Juan Carlos writes off the debt. Calderon is a muppet and if he told you it was daytime, I'd check the sun to make sure..
Danny,February 10, 2010
Real madrid are wankers end of.
BigBaws,February 10, 2010
Madrid is a shithole
Thierry Henry,February 10, 2010
Man utd have been just as bad as Real Madrid in putting pressure of players to join them while at other clubs. Stam, Nistlerooy, Ferdinand. Etc. They are also taking young players from foreign clubs by offering unfair incentives. Just coz Real Madrid are bigger than united, united fans moan. typical. Viva Madrid!!
Ronaldo is a class player, united aint the same destructive team without. If it weren't for Ronaldo you wouldn't of won the title as he won you points in games u were loosing.;
mitch,February 10, 2010
FOA mitch..

your full of the soft brown stuff fella, Ronaldo was not the be all and end all of Utd. Man Utd are doing fine without him and as anton rightly pointed out they have scored more goals this season without him in thier team, as for the unfair incentives bit, it was also proven in a court of Law United in fact have not done anything illlegal, its just they are a little more generous when it comes to looking after players and thier families, United are the greatest, and biggest sporting club in the world on and off the pitch in terms of sucess and revenue, Ronaldo was only a small cog in a very very big moving machine, he is easily replaced for a club like Man Utd.
Barnesy,February 10, 2010
All I have to say is that 'Calderon is a big, untrustworthy, lying TWAT'...take all the guy says with a very big inch of salt...what a looser!
RM press office,February 10, 2010
@ mitch: Who needs ronaldo when you've got rooney!!! I think the departure of ronaldo has helped man utd to crystallize the talents of rooney. As for for your viva madrid, up urs! you wont win anything this season. Yes buddy mark my words. RM will not win any silverware this season coz barca n company are too good.
Poosey,February 10, 2010
Wayne Rooney anyone? Yep...much rather Roon in my team.
JC,February 10, 2010
Manchester has become more of a team without CR and at last Rooney is playing where he is supposed to be! As for Real Madrid, SAF has never claimed to be a friend! The club is being run by bloodthirsty, conscience-less people who's only aim is stealing players from other clubs! I love CR but I think MU is better off without him!
David, Moscow,February 10, 2010
well considering that all the big Spanish clubs use premier league players as pawns during their presedential elections it's no wonder SAF doesn't like them. I would say unsettling a player and also having an agreement with the player was an illegal approach, tapping up and if an English club did it there would be a UEFA investigation, but the continentals especially the Spanish always get away with it. A case in point, Cesc Fabragas is believe it or not an Arsenal player but it's so good of Barcelona to allow them to keep him for this season, you are so geneorous, another Spanish tapping up incident for the powers that be in european football to ignore no doubt.
Roy,February 10, 2010
Why do we need to be a friend of Real Madrid. Calderon should go fuck himself. SAF decides when a player is no longer required and then he goes. Real Madrid didn't make the choice about Ronaldo SAR did.
Bez,February 10, 2010
Cretinous comments by Calderon: Ferguson "does not see Madrid in a good light" because they arrogantly and persistantly tap up other club's players and make grandiose statements to the press about them. It has nothing to do with being "sporting rivals" - if that were the case it would be Barcelona on his black list, who have had some great battles with United over the last few years and they now have a genuine competitive rivalry. Meanwhile Real have been so far in the rear-view mirror it is laughable.

Incidentally, is FIFA going to do anything about this? Calderon states an agreement made on 08⁄12⁄08 when Ronaldo was obviously a Manchester United player. This is surely illegal tapping up?
Leroy Cain,February 10, 2010
For Mitch,
Please get ur facts right. It was SAF who decided to sell CR to Real Madrid and its quite obvious that we are doing much better without him coz he was acting as if he was bigger then Man U which SAF doesnt like. I fully agree with Poosey as well, Real Madrid will not win any trophy this year. Mark my words that RM will be the looser in every tournament.
Rafe from Karachi,February 10, 2010
remove penalties from the game and you will see the real Ronaldo, an average scorer of course!
vincent,February 10, 2010
HAHAHA Real Madrid wont win La liga even with all the money they spent on players .. Ronaldo , KaKa , Benzema , Alonso ... And still Barcelona play them off the field lol , they wont even reach the final of the Champions League .. Look at Utd now , yeh we miss Ronnie but were still up there and for the price we got it was well worth it ...
lynxeh,February 10, 2010
Isn't this enough evidence to either charge Real for illegal approach or discredit Senora Calderon by forcing him to lie and say that he lied about this statement ,,, oh, wait - he'll claim he's totally misquoted by the devil press
MikeyD,February 10, 2010
Calderon says that Ferguson is no friend of Real Madrid. Does he really need this very late knife-twisting exercise after managing to sign 4 Manchester United players in the last few years? Perhaps this is more of an egotistical boast that he not Perez did the deal for Ronaldo. Given the amount of mendacity coming from Madrid throughout this saga, who cares?
andy,February 10, 2010
The Real Madrid Business Plan is nothing short of a disaster, 80m seems an incredible amount when set against a background of a collapsing economy, unemployment at record levels, their tv revenues have fallen dramatically, shirt sales down 75% and a wage bill that is just not sustainable. They have been unable to off load many of their rejects. And they are still only second in the league. An early exit in the
Champions League would really panic the banks. They are hiding 600m of debt which they say is 300m.
You could finish up with the supporters booing Ronaldo in the 3rd year of his contract because he doesn't score 40 goals and the club is going bust. Hate the Glazers and all that they stand for but stuffing RM
with this amount of debt was a pretty smart move. King or no king he's going to have a hell of a job convincing the rest of Spain that paying off their debt for paying rediculous amounts for pampered footballers when the rest of the country struggles to put food on the table, well good luck with that one !!!

It was all so different the last time they tried this!
pipsan,February 10, 2010
another self opinionaided vulgar rich believing that real is bigger thread to man utd than barcelona.let him try to understand football
antonis louca,February 10, 2010
Good ridence to a trouble causer if you don't want to play for united then taking the money 80m was plenty enough for a player who did not back track and only made 6 tackles in his final season he will not win anything with Madrid as Barcalona are the team to beat in Spain and Europe.
Who needs friends like madrid hope that shower do get a virus that wipes them all out
4 in a row for United and 3rd champions league final in a row lol
Dougie,February 10, 2010
I loved CR when he was at MU but since he left i have changed my mind, i dont like Real Madrid, i see them asa at team which kills players, and has never developed any. MU will be champs in UK. i think Wayne Rooney is a better palyer than CR even during the time CR was playing at the club.

Man U is the best
Mario,February 10, 2010
if cr wasnt playing someoneelse would score the goals just like it is now, all evidence is there to see. we have more goals this season minus cr7 which clearly shows that life has moved on . cr who ????? who is that ? we breed those at OT Nani n Obertan will b aight
JLMSH,February 10, 2010
sporting rivals in trophies and european competition.... firstly why do people at Real feel the need to pathetically comment it's not even election season! The quote before is holly inaccurate - when's the last time the two clubs met would be 1999-2000 season if my memory is correct. Not like Real have won anything recently either - in fact in stark contrast to Barca who have won a fair bit and who United have played in the last two champions leagues - pretty big matches too - final last season and semi before that. So given that Real are not United's competitors on the field but more so Barca are why is Calderon mentioning that Fergie deslikes them because of on field competiton - it clearly is not true!

Maybe the issue is they have a rather unhealthy way of signing other teams players which dates back to the signing of Figo!?!
ummm...,February 10, 2010
fao rafe Karachi...you got it wrong. The deal for Ronaldo was clearly agreed the year before, so when fergie said I wouldn't sell them a virus he had already agreed to sell Ronaldo to Real Madrid. At then end it was Ronaldo decision to leave and be sold, Fergie had to accept it as in the long run as it could of been worse for his team keeping a player who wants to leave. Fergie did well to keep him for the extra season, and knew the time was right to get the maximum value out of him. It has shown that man united can live with out him. But I find it petty that so many united fans now think nothing of shouting abuse at one of the premierships and united legends.
mitch,February 10, 2010
CR at Man U was merely giving breathing space to the best player in the world, WR.
Sir AF was jubilant to make a profit of 70M stg on a diva who has already passed his international peak.
Everything about CR is about him & him alone. His club is a secondary consideration.
Shaun,February 10, 2010
I think the real reason that Fergie hates Real Madrid and in particular Calderon is probably the disgraceful and disrespectful way that Madrid go about all of their transfer dealings. I'm an Arsenal fan so Fergie is not one of my favourite people but i loved it when he said about not selling them a virus. It's about all their worth and they won't win the CL this year. To be the biggest club in the world you have to have dignity and respect. Much as it pains me to say it Man U have that in abundance.

I feel sick.....
Jeff,February 10, 2010
Beat Milan, Bring on Madrid!
El Diablo Rojo,February 10, 2010
Alex Ferguson has always hated Madrid. He called them a fascist club remember.
Danny,February 10, 2010
Ramon Calderon is absolutely right when he says Sir Alex Ferguson is no friend of Real Madrid. Why would Sir Alex want to do business with the parasites of European football. They have an open chequebook and think they can muscle in on any player in the world. FIFA should condone these actions for the good of the game !!!
Paul Morris,February 10, 2010
real madrid are scum
lee ,February 10, 2010
Bullshit what does Calderon know about success...my two year old son has not seen real madrid win a major trophy.
Chipella,February 10, 2010
madrid are wankers calderon just looking for atttention!!if ronaldo did have a pre agreement then he shouldnt get too good a reception if he returns to old trafford he lied to the fans time and time again and he came out a few weeks before the champions league draw saying he loved united and"missed them" wat a load of bullshit shitn himself cuz he knws rooney will play him of the pitch!!
pat,February 10, 2010
Hey I am a huge Manchester United fan and have been for the past 45 years! I loved Christiano when he was a Manchester player and was sad to see him go. At the same time I very much resented the games he and his manager played with regards to going to Madrid. He started those games at the 2006 World Cup and it would not go away. United did not deserve that. Sir Alex and United help make him the player he is today. Ronaldo's team mates at United worked hard for him and the it never seemed he appreciated. Rooney on the other hand not only appreciates his team mates, he is the first to deflect any glory to the United team. Rooney is class! Ronaldo comes across very selfish in comparison. Both are however, equal talents!
Sargentoi!,February 10, 2010
Doubt Sir Alex will lose sleep at being labelled "no fiend of Real Madrid", why does Calderon pretend to be the only gentleman in the world of football?
David,February 10, 2010
I'm a pendejo.
Ramon Calderon,February 10, 2010
The reason United held on to CR for an extra year was so that it wouldn't say 'Man Utd⁄Real Madrid' after his name in the 'world⁄European player of the year' awards. The only time Real have their name on those awards is when they buy the obvious winner before he's named. I think the last Real player to win one of the awards for actually playing for that mob was Alfredo di Stefano in the 1950s....
Kevin Red,February 10, 2010
Absolutely no doubt, Ronaldo is a clas player and been great for Manchester United. Been a major part in three successive titles. Being a big United fan, I was disappointed that CR7 went to Real but having said that I agreed with the transfer. United are bigger than Ronaldo, and we've had numerous other big names leave United and Ferguson could not have held Cristiano back from a dream move. Being Portuguese I couldnt blame him for wishing to play at the Bernabau. Rooney has benifited, and more recently, Nani has been superb. Might well be a master plan in disguise not to spend the money last season - some players values branded about were monstrous. We aren't doing to bad with Ronnie, 2nd in the league with Chelsea yet to visit the Theatre of Dreams.
Bealer,February 10, 2010
Calderon is clearly a cretin. Surely SAF would be more likely to sell him to a shambles of an outftr such as Real over what is already the best team of a generation in Barcelona. Messi on one flank and Ronaldo on the other, that would be some sight.
Wardie,February 10, 2010
Bollocks calderon, never heard so much shit, real are not a real team, they just buy what they want
Scott,February 10, 2010
Manu had a right to get rid of Cristiano Ronaldo. He was only good because player like Rooney allow him. Wayne could have score more gold. Look at Wayne this year since Ronaldo left United?
Vere ,February 10, 2010
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