Are Real Madrid Contradicting Blatter?
While the Ronaldo saga has rumbled on throughout the summer, I have to admit I’ve been one of the few who’ve let it go over my head. Obviously it’s a topic that’s been pretty much in your face for the most part, mainly because not only is this the way Real Madrid choose to conduct themselves, but also because this sort of behaviour has actually been endorsed by the seriously warped Sepp Blatter.
However, with their latest public statement unashamedly contradicting Blatter’s theory on football ‘slavery,’ I feel obliged to either openly question their disgraceful behaviour or headbutt the nearest wall. We all know how they’ve behaved in their shameless pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo on an almost daily basis, and whilst I haven’t had much to say on the subject — mainly because I’ve never really believed he’d leave Manchester United this summer — I’ve viewed each statement from the Spanish club with serious distaste.
Firstly, we heard from Real’s Sporting Director, how, despite the fact Ronaldo has a contract without a buy-out clause, there was still a need for Real to harass pursue him. Then, we got the sheer arrogance with statements like “I think that sooner or later, Kaka, like Cristiano Ronaldo, will end up playing at Real Madrid because this is the most important club in the world and any player wants to come here.”
Obviously, the reason Real are falling over themselves — and not giving a damn who they trample in the process — is down to the form of the player they’re after. Ronaldo was seriously good last season, scoring what amounted to a pretty unreal amount of goals whilst playing the best football of his career to date. In doing so, he came away with both Premier League and Champions League winner’s medals. He’s got a good contract at a club that will guarantee him success for the next 4 years at least (if he sees it out). He’s also been given unbelievable support, verging on adulation, that not only enabled him to swiftly put the whole ‘World Cup wink’ behind him but also allowed him to brush the chip off his shoulder and grow into the player he is today. And still, Real believe they can offer him something better? Unbelievable.
But the Spanish club’s disgraceful practice doesn’t end there, because, whilst bigging themselves up as the best thing that’s ever happened to football and assuming there isn’t a player in the game who’d spurn their advances, what Real have actually done is show the world just how low they really are.
You see, while they’ve been busy directing their entire focus on one player this summer, they seem to have forgotten about the players they have already — and one in particular whose future at the club appears to remain in limbo. And it’s this treatment of Robinho that brings me back to the sheer hypocrisy of their behaviour in the face of recent comments from the FIFA president and Real Madrid affiliate, Sepp Blatter.
In a shocking display of total disrespect, Real Madrid have openly admitted that should Cristiano Ronaldo be naive enough to sign for them, then Robinho will be considered surplus to requirements and sold to the highest bidder. However, should Ronaldo have more sense stay at United, then, and only then, will they offer the Brazilian an improved deal to keep him at the club. Did someone mention the word ‘slavery’?
Even worse than that though, is their apparent refusal to allow Robinho, who must feel about as welcome as your missus on your stag night, to leave in the meantime. Hang on a minute though, what was it Blatter was saying in his defence of Real Madrid’s recent conduct?
“If the player wants to play somewhere else, then a solution should be found because if he stays in a club where he does not feel comfortable to play then it’s not good for the player and for the club,” he said. “The important thing is, we should also protect the player. I’m always in favour of protecting the player, and if the player he wants to leave, let him leave.“
And yet, despite Chelsea making clear how much they’d welcome Robinho at Stamford Bridge, Mijatovic is reported to have said the player will not be allowed to leave. Well, until it suits Real anyway.
Now, my point is, not only does Real’s stance in not allowing Robinho to leave — despite having completely undervalued him — totally contradict Blatter’s statements when it comes to players Real Madrid want to prise away from other clubs, but their sheer front in admitting they’d happily sell him for the highest available price if they got Ronaldo, begs the question: Isn’t that what they used to do with the hired help years ago, Mr. Blatter?
Topics: Chelsea, Cristiano Ronaldo, La Liga, Manchester United, Real Madrid
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If the player wants to leave – as he’s said, a number of times – then I don’t think it really counts as harassment, now does it?
July 23rd, 2008 @ 11:35Rob – So then Robinho should be allowed to join Chelsea tomorrow then, as he wants to leave, but Madrid won’t let him, as they are laughably hypocritical & totally out of touch with reality. This isn’t the 50′s, and they aren’t the biggest club in the world anymore.
July 23rd, 2008 @ 11:47So, you’re accusing the Real Madrid directors of hypocrisy, arrogance and general two-facedness. That is hardly news.
The only reason everyone seems to think this is somehow worse than any of the other actions professional clubs take when they want to get a player is the sheer monetary scale of it. It’s been happening since there’s been money in the sport and it will continue to happen. Manchester United themselves have been accused of it, so it’s hardly as if they’re totally innocent, perhaps?
The question is, who is the victim here if Ronaldo moves to Real Madrid?
– not Cristiano Ronaldo. Without his collusion none of this would be happening. If he were truly the person worthy of adulation from the ManU faithful he would have made clear his commitment to that club months ago. He is angling for what he wants and will (arguably) get what he deserves.
– not Manchester United. If they sell, they will probably receive an insane amount of money for a player potentially at the peak of his financial worth (I’m not saying it’s downhill for Ronaldo from here, just that he had an exceptional season that is unlikely to be repeated year in, year out). I’m sure Ferguson can put that money to very good use.
– not Robinho. This so-called injured party is merely angling (or at least his agent is) for a contract renewal / salary increase from Real or a better deal elsewhere – as is his right. There’s no way Real will keep him against his will, as they well know he will just end up being inconsistent and worth a lot less at the end of the coming season. And hey, if a player says he wants to leave and that is not a mark of disrespect, why should we consider the opposite (when a club wants to cash in by selling a player) disrespectful?
– not Real Madrid. They get one of the top talents in football, plus a hugely marketable asset. They may pay for it further down the line unless they manage it better than they did with the other galacticos, but the issue is with the business model, rather than this particular transfer.
So, there are not really any innocent parties here. Except perhaps the fans. But then again, heroes come and go, and it is partly the public’s hunger for news over the summer period that drives the papers to create or make up stories which sometimes end up being true just by sheer inertia. So, very little sympathy from me there…
If Cristiano ends up staying at Manchester, I wonder how damaged both he and the club will be by the whole saga.
For an article I wrote on this back in May, check out http://allinwhite.blogspot.com/2008/05/cristiano-crusade.html
July 23rd, 2008 @ 13:09JPF. You’ve missed the point.
If the player wants to leave, realistically all a club can do is get the best terms possible. Whatever inferiority complex Manchester United might have about Madrid, that’s not the issue. The issue is that the boy wants to leave, and has said so publicly. I don’t recall Robinho saying anything of the sort – it’s all been done through his agent – so although I admire your effort at analogy, you clearly struggle with simply logic.
July 23rd, 2008 @ 15:04I wish that the saga could have been resolved in simpler form (Bid-Sell-Pay) and that the Man Utd fans didn’t have to endure this hatred pointed at C.Ronaldo and Real Madrid.
Please, let Real Madrid and Man Utd get drawn in the CL…better to slug it out in the football pitch rather than in the media mess.
July 23rd, 2008 @ 16:35Rob, throughout this whole saga, I don’t recall seeing any quotes from Ronaldo saying he actually wants to leave United, whereas I definitely did see at least one direct quote from Robinho to say “I want to leave Real Madrid”. According to Blatter’s theory then, Robinho should be allowed to go surely?
July 23rd, 2008 @ 17:21Denise,
Robinho has never said publicly that he wants to leave the club. You may have seen this headline in Marca (http://www.marca.com/edicion/marca/futbol/1a_division/real_madrid/es/desarrollo/1148016.html) which is supposedly the report of a private conversation between the player and Mijatovic. Given the source, I would not put much stock in the information.
The very next day Marca itself reported Robinho as saying that he wanted to stay in Real Madrid for a long time to come (http://www.marca.com/edicion/marca/futbol/1a_division/real_madrid/es/desarrollo/1148380.html). He’s being even less crytic (at least in public) than his Portuguese counterpart with his ‘white suits me’ and ‘you all know where I want to go’ comments.
July 23rd, 2008 @ 17:36Robinho’s agent was harping on about how his client felt unwanted at Madrid and that they were looking to engineer a move away as it was about respect and not money.
Still, Robinho will stay at Madrid if he’s given the love and financial attention he’s after.
July 23rd, 2008 @ 18:00Real madrid have done nothing so your story is nonsense from the very first paragraph so i wont even read the rest
July 23rd, 2008 @ 20:34Bayern,
At least you’re consistent in your bias…and your inability to carry out a civil argument
July 24th, 2008 @ 00:09Robinho never said he wanted to leave Madrid, only to make more money.
July 24th, 2008 @ 02:21Ronaldo has said over and over again he wants to leave Man U and play AT REAL.
fine, fine, don’t believe what we say…
quotes from Robinho’s agent
Read the bit where he talks about not being happy at Madrid’s treatment, and the fact that he’s meeting with Chelsea with a view to a transfer.
As for Ronaldo – he’s said specifically that playing for Madrid would be dream, he’s said this ONCE, and the rest of the time he’s said that it’s not in his hands and that he’ll return to United and play if nothing is sorted out (go read the guillembalague.com interview).
July 24th, 2008 @ 02:40RVN, u have to understand this site is run by man u fans. And like all manu fans they dont know how to be objective.
U also have to understand that they were misguided enough to actually think that the support the best club in world football. However, the ronaldo saga is forcing them to accept the reality that they are an inferior club to many others out there. They dont want to look at history because it highlights this fact very clearly.
I may be biased in who i support but i am honest, Manu is an inferior club and ronaldo wants to leave and go to real not only for money but because they are better and winning cl has not changed that fact.
Ahmed, robihno has NEVER said he wants to leave because he thinks another side (chelsea) is better. He is unhappy because real isnt giving him the money he wants. On the other hand, ronaldo wants to leave manu not only for money but because the KNOWS that they are better than manu. Those are the facts and a challenge u to find any reported quotes that say otherwise
July 24th, 2008 @ 03:47Hilariously, you’re complaining about an article written by a Chelsea fan and attributing it to united bias?
bias does not equal honesty. if it does, some ‘honest’ about bayern instead of harping on about other clubs and transfer situations you don’t know much about.
Re-read my comment, then re-read my earlier comments to you.
And the next time you drag in facts, support them with actual, published quotes. Robinho’s agent has specifically denied that it’s a financial issue (see the link I posted in my previous comment). Ronaldo says it’s been his dream to play for madrid and that the financial opportunity comes around once in a lifetime. I haven’t disputed either, don’t see why you would keep repeating this or equate this into united being inferior.
Unless you consider that Chelsea are superior to Bayern. Or that United are superior to Bayern. Both clubs have players who left Bayern to play for them. By your reasoning this would make Bayern inferior, which is obviously bollocks (as is your argument).
July 24th, 2008 @ 03:58Bayern do us all a favour and either read the article or shut up. you said yourself you didn’t read it, because “Madrid hasn’t done anything wrongâ€. If that’s your opinion, it’s obvious that in addition to not reading this article, you haven’t read anything relating to the Ronaldo saga all summer. Maybe they haven’t done anything wrong legally, but as far as setting a good example, as is their responsibility as one of the worlds biggest sporting clubs, they have been woefully negligent.
What are aspiring footballers going to see?
Obviously that loyalty to a club who nurtures you means nothing if it stands in the way of personal ambition. Also that contracts are well and good until they also stand in the way.
Also if you had read the article, you would have seen Denise’s extremely valid point of Real’s behaviour in regard to Robinho. Suddenly they wont let him go, and are holding him in the same way that Manchester United did to Ronaldo, which is within their rights, but also hypocritical given their pursuit of Ronaldo. Denise’s point was that after getting support from Sepp Blatter in the form of his outrageous slavery comments, they have shown they don’t even hold to those rules after not letting Robinho leave.
So please read the article before commenting on it, and as ahmed said, support any argument with actual facts.
July 24th, 2008 @ 06:28comment removed by moderator.
July 24th, 2008 @ 07:04Bayern / RVN:
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_3857968,00.html
That is pure class, ainnit?
July 24th, 2008 @ 07:32Rob – Your argument is bollocks, as, at no point, has Ronaldo said that he wants to leave United this summer either. He said that it is his dream to one day play for Madrid, the only comment he has made as to next season was after we had just won the European cup, asked whether he will leave or stay, he answered simply ‘I stay’, the only people whgo have said he wants to move this summer is Madrid and Marca. So your logic isn’t great either…..
July 24th, 2008 @ 08:32Only 2 months ago he was saying how happy he was in manchester. He is easily influenced, when he is in England he wants to stay at manchester, when he goes on holidays he wants to go to madrid… total idiot!! he loves attention and loves himself, ending up like beckham..he is in the game for adulation not footballing glory.. personally i never want to see him in a Man utd jersey again. Real Madrid are a ‘has been’ club.. Man Utd don’t need money, and will become stronger because of this prat Ronaldo saga….he will never have another season like last year anyway so let ronaldo rot in the stands !! after 4 years let him go
July 24th, 2008 @ 09:10I’m not really sure what all the fuss is about.
Players come, players go. Some players are vain, some are greedy, some are downright stupid. Nothing is happening here that hasn’t happened many times before across the world at all levels. The only thing that’s different is the amounts of money involved. Big deal.
As I said in my first post, I can’t really see who the victim is here. Frankly, the sooner the transfer window closes, the better.
July 24th, 2008 @ 09:17Real Madrid grew into a national institution in Spain many years ago. They dominated the early years of the (then) European Cup, bestowing great pride on the Spanish people. As a national institution they have been treated preferentially in respect of loans and club debt, by the government, over many years, as such gaining an unfair advantage over their rivals. However, you could argue that they earned this status and the a glorious history and legacy resides at this great club.
Then along come the modern politics of presidential elections and candidates who will knife their grandmother to get elected, never mind give assurances about buying every world class player on the planet. Bear in mind that these promises are made without consulting with the club manager or what he wants for the team. Somewhat irrelevant maybe considering the rate Real turn over managers (20+ in the time Ferguson has been at Old Trafford).
Players too have become mere commodoties and the whole galacticos programme was a farce. Because of the way Real operate the club, they have ubderachieved considering their position of domination and financial clout. The current regime disrespects and walks on the great legacy of the club and I’m sure there are people from that era at Real who cringe at today’s goings on.
That said, they can run their club any way they like. Give me loyalty, continuity of players/manager and team spirit any day.
As for the biggest club in the World….you can set certain parameters to judge this by but even then it always comes down to bias and opinion. Let’s just say that Bayern is the Greatest is one of the biggest arseholes in the world.
Now, as last, there’s something beyond dispute!
July 24th, 2008 @ 09:25Rob (and any other people that think they have read something that doesn’t exist) – can you find me the quotes from Ronaldo saying he wants to leave Man Utd.
Ronaldo has been VERY CAREFUL not to say he wants to leave meerly to say he wants to join Madrid (as he has for the past five years), he knows he is not the only person in control of his destination so is leaving himself in a position whereby if he doen’t get his dream move (and I accept it is his dream move), he can simply say that he never said he wanted to leave.
July 24th, 2008 @ 10:36If he wants to move then he should put in a transfer request WHICH HE HASN’T.
hello Bayern is the Greatest,
somebody say the Ronaldo saga is quite old and full of junk. but still there are people who try to claim their side is the right one and the other is not.
Talking about Ronaldo wants to leave, we have to admit, he really wants to leave, but we all know that it’s not him to decide. dont you think it will become messy and something funny when a player states that he wants to leave, and the club just let him leave.
To leave a club, we talk about contract between the club and the player. no one force a player to sign contract if he doesn’t want. so i strongly support Fabio Canavaro comment that a player should see out his contract, respect his word.
You know the influence of money, sure he dreams for Real, and coincidentally, a big offer comes up, so it fuels a young boy mind to say something which he knows should be said at later time.
Real Madrid, biggest club in the world, that’s a memory. come on, wake up to see the reality.
July 24th, 2008 @ 11:33Isn’t it patently obvious what the situation is? Ronaldo wants to play in Spain “someday”. Real know this and want to make it ASAP. If Fergie phoned Ronaldo and said they had accepted an offer from Madrid and he could start discussing personal terms he would be over the moon. If Real hadn’t said a word this summer Ronaldo would be happily playing for Man Utd this season. He must be happy playing for Man Utd, otherwise he wouldn’t have signed a contract extension last year. And for god’s sake, he’s paid a fortune and he’s just won the champions league. It’s not like Barry or Berbatov wanting a final step up to play champions league football before they get too old.
If Real had just conducted themselves normally, like any other club, and made an bid we would all be happy. The bid would be rejected, they would come back with a higher bid and we would go round this loop until they stop bidding or it’s accepted. Every player has a price; for Ronaldo it’s probably 80M. This is exactly what Man Utd did with Hargreaves and what they are doing with Berbatov so stop comparing the two situations. All this crap about “he’s our number 1 target”, “Man Utd should allow him to leave”, “it’s nothing to do with us, it’s an issue between player and club”, “we will offer him 300K/wk”, “we are waiting for the player to say he wants to join us”, “if Man Utd want to call us we can start negotiating” etc etc is just nausiating.
How can anyone say Real Madrid have done no wrong? FIFA haven’t punished them simply because FIFA don’t have any rules to prevent this ridiculous behaviour. And of course because Blatter is an honourary member of Real Madrid….
July 24th, 2008 @ 11:51Bayern is the greatest. You have no idea about this story. I am very happy at Manchester, I am playing with confidence and we win trophies. It is good. I Stay at United.
July 24th, 2008 @ 15:33LOL, cristiano u need to hold a press conference and tell the rest of the world. LOL
July 24th, 2008 @ 15:37I strongly believe that Ronaldo should learn from three footballers who have left their clubs to go to Real Madrid: Beckham,Owen, Van Nisterooy and Woodgate. The career we crippled after moving there from England well apart from Ruud who adapted quickly. Ronaldo need to think alot before he leaves United. For is position in particular at Madrid who plays his position, we have Robben, wesley, Robinho etc there are plenty. This would mean one player will be sacrificed for him or he will be a sub on ocassions. That would be dumb leaving first place pick for second choice. United and Alex made Ronaldo who he is right now there is no coach who can really develop a player into world class like him. So believe Ronaldo should respect the club and coach that made him.
July 24th, 2008 @ 17:02Dwight, I think you’re confusing cause and effect on those players who have seen their careers “crippled” as a result of leaving England to play for Real Madrid.
Beckham – fought his way back into the side to win a league title in his last season at Real (in part as a result of his efforts). I believe Real would have renewed his contract, but it was his decision to go to LA – a decision which effectively means he will never play top class club football again.
Owen – had an excellent season at Real despite being used as a substitute for most of it. In fact, he had one of the best goal scoring rates in the league, given how few minutes he played. His subsequent problems have all come as a result of his injuries at Newcastle, not because he went to Spain.
Van Nistelrooy – As you say, he has adapted quickly, and he won the pichichi (top goalscorer) title in his first season at the club with 25 league goals.
Woodgate – a truly unfortunate player. He arrived injured and then proceeded to fall injure donce again after he had recovered. he thereafter fell out of favour just as he was making a comeback on loan to Middlesbrough. Not sure you could describe his career as ‘crippled’, given he still plays in the Premiership and got one or two call-ups to the national side.
July 24th, 2008 @ 17:13agreed with Gonzalo on this one on principle, but w.r.t Beckham, he wanted a better share of his image rights that Madrid weren’t ready to give him, and that sparked his departure. Also, Beckham did quite well at Madrid – most consistent player in the 3 years he stayed there.
Owen – unfortunate and misused at Madrid but did really well there.
July 25th, 2008 @ 08:17david villa ou messi
August 31st, 2008 @ 16:35robinho a chilsi vive real madrid