Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates during the 2007-08 Champions League final against Chelsea.
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates during the 2007-08 Champions League final against Chelsea.

Ronaldo 'happy at United'

Fri-Dec 19, 2008

Yokohama / Agence France-Presse

Cristiano Ronaldo insists he is "very happy" at Manchester United after reports linking him with a move to Real Madrid at the end of the season infuriated Sir Alex Ferguson.

Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported that the two clubs had a gentleman's agreement to transfer Ronaldo to the Bernabeu at the end of the season following a bitter tug-of-war for him this year.

"I don't care what people are saying," the Portuguese star, who has not hidden his desire to play in Spain one day, told reporters here, where Manchester United are playing in the Club World Cup.

"I have not read it. I am here in Japan and I know nothing about what is going on around me. But I am very happy playing for Manchester United," he added.

Ronaldo was touted all summer as an 80 million euro ($115 million, 74 million pounds) Real target, with United furious at the Spaniards' constant efforts to draw him away from Manchester.

Ferguson on Thursday angrily dismissed the new claims as nonsense as relations between the two football superpowers hit a new low.

"Do you think I'd enter into a contract with that mob? No chance. I would not sell them a virus. That is a no. There is no agreement whatsoever between the clubs. If we worry about what Real Madrid have to say then we are not concentrating on our own publicity and the difficult games we have got coming up. We just have to ignore it," he said.

"Sometimes it can be an angry situation and sometimes I get really annoyed with them. But we know their game. I think we should play ours and ignore them," added the United boss.

Ballon D'Or winner Ronaldo, who scored in United's 5-3 win over Japan's Gamba Osaka in their Club World Cup semi-final on Thursday, preferred to focus his attention on the tournament, with a final against Liga de Quito on Sunday.

"I'm happy with the whole experience. It was great to win, it was great to score, and it's great to be here in Japan," said the 23-year-old.
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