Ronaldo

Sir Alex Ferguson has dismissed any suggestion that a private deal has been struck regarding the summer transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid. With an outburst Thursday that was as heartfelt as it was outspoken, Manchester United manager as good as drew a halt to the hope of cordiality between the clubs returning any time in near future.

Responding to reports in a Spanish newspaper that Pedro Trapote, a Real director, revealed it had been agreed that Ronaldo would move to Spain at the end of the season, Ferguson was contemptuous. Speaking slowly for greater emphasis, he sneered: “Do you think I would get into a contract with that mob? No chance, exactly. Christ almighty, I wouldn’t sell them a virus, let alone Cristiano Ronaldo. So you can take that as a no. There is no agreement whatsoever between the clubs.”

Asked whether he thought it coincidental that the supposed leak came within a few days of Real’s defeat by Barcelona, Ferguson was equally dismissive. “They blame everybody but themselves,” he said. “But I said to David Gill, our chief executive, last summer when we sold Gabriel Heinze to them that you can bet your life it will start up again in January with Cristiano.

“If we keep worrying about what Real Madrid are going to say, we stop concentrating on our own business and the difficult games we have coming up. Sometimes it can become an angry situation and I get annoyed by it, but we know their game and we should just play our game. We’ve got to ignore it.”

Ronaldo was asked about the reports on two occasions, but the Portugal forward refused to comment.

THE TIMES, LONDON