Milene: May be hired by Atletico Madrid

Milan: Milene Domingues, wife of Brazilian star Ronaldo and a soccer player herself in Italy, cried for two hours after learning of her husband’s transfer to Real Madrid but is planning to leave Italy to be with him, news reports said.

She didn’t have to wait long for an offer of her own: Atletico Madrid, Real’s city rivals, said Sunday they would try to sign Domingues for their women’s team.

“We’ll shortly start proceedings to sign her. I’m convinced if we sign her we could teach her a lot, and with the arrival of her husband in Madrid, we have many options to contract her,” said Lola Herrera, president of women’s Atletico Madrid.

Domingues had said in previous interviews that she had hoped Ronaldo would remain with Inter Milan so the family could stay in Italy, where she is on the roster for the Italian Serie A women’s team Fiammamonza.

An Italian daily said Sunday Domingues had cried for two hours after learning Ronaldo had moved to Real Madrid. News reports put the transfer fee at 35 million euros and another unnamed player.

Fiammamonza coach Raffaele Solimeno confirmed the teary account in an interview with a news agency, saying domingues had been “the happiest girl in the world” until she learned the deal had gone through.

He said he had suggested Domingues try to commute from Madrid and continue to play with the club, based in Monza, near Milan, but that she said it wouldn’t be practical.

“We spoke about it and she told me that going back and forth isn’t the greatest life and that she didn’t want to train alone,” he said. “She’s afraid of creating problems for the whole group, and so I don’t think she’ll play with us.”

“She really loves her husband and justifiably wants to follow him, together with their child, and the prospect of returning every weekend to Milan didn’t persuade her,” he said.

Solimeno said he was sorry to see her go, saying she was a “true player who will certainly continue her career in Spain.”

Meanwhile, Ferenc Puskas, speaking to Spanish reporters in Budapest on the occasion of his recent testimonial between Spain and Hungary, was in no doubt about the impact that Ronaldo will have.

“He’s one of the world’s great strikers. He can only help Real Madrid,” said Puskas.

“With the arrival of Ronaldo, I think we have regained all the elements of the side that was named the greatest club team of the 20th century,” added the normally undemonstrative Florentino Perez.