Ronaldo Gets Ballon D'or

Submitted by CR7 on 8 December 2008 - 9:12am.

Cristiano Ronaldo picked up his most prestigious award yet as he took home the world famous Ballon D'or - the European Footballer of the Year Award!

He was in Paris for the full 3 hour show alongside Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who gave Ronaldo a standing ovation when the time came.

Ronaldo was grateful to Ferguson, and all his team-mates.

"I've been playing for Manchester for five years - I feel at home," said the 23-year-old Ronaldo. "I'm happy at Manchester and want to stay."

"I'm an ambitious person. I don't want it to stop here," said Ronaldo reflecting on his success. "I think we have to keep trying to win trophies, collectively and individually. I'm on the right track.

"It's always special to reach this level, the important thing is to stay there. The idea is to keep progressing, collectively and individually as well. Without my team I couldn't have won it, and I have to thank them also."

Sir alex had kind words for him, and said it was good for Manchester United to have such an accomplished player - the first United player to win the Award since George Best some years back!

"It's a long time since we won one, 40 years ago," said Ferguson. "Of course, he's only 23. He's only just beginning. When players get to 26 they start to mature."

Touch Down in Japan

Submitted by CR7 on 16 December 2008 - 4:45pm.

Cristiano Ronaldo and his Manchester United teammates tuched down in Japan yesterday and were mobbed by United fans.

Ronaldo looked relaxed in the photos, and is looking forward to playing in the World Club Championship.

Ronaldo 'Signed' for Madrid

Submitted by CR7 on 18 December 2008 - 9:59am.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid were once again linked in the papers today (yesterday in the Spanish ones) amidst news that one of Real Madrid's Directors had been speaking to a 'close personal friend' who also happens to have close links with a newspaper!

Spanish newspaper El Mundo published the conversation, with the Director says that only a confidentiality clause prevents Madrid from announcing the deal, while it also claims that other directors have privately leaked the news too.

Director Pedro Trapote and a "very close confidant" spoke last week.

"We have already signed the top player for next summer," El Mundo alleges Trapote to have said. "The top is the top. It is Cristiano, there is no one else. It's not bad, is it?"

But Trapote added: "It is better not to say anything right now because there are clauses that prevent us from announcing it right now. For us it would be the right moment [to go public] but we shouldn't do so."

Real mdrid have claimed to have Ronaldo signed and sealed for the last few seasons, but after last summer's drawn-out transfer saga, most United fans seem sure that this time it is more than likely that Ronaldo will go.

Ronaldo in Japan Final

Submitted by CR7 on 18 December 2008 - 2:05pm.

Cristiano Ronaldo was in scintilllating form (proving to the World exactly why Real Madrid are going to pay a reported £80m for him in the Summer) as United cruised to the World Club Cup Final with a 5-3 win over Gamba.

Reigning Asian Champions League winners Gamba gave as good as they got in a lively start in Yokohama, getting the vocal crowd right behind them and not looking like a side who had lost four of their past five games. Tomokazu Myojin hit a decent long-range shot to test United keeper Edwin Van der Sar before Carlos Tevez raced down the other end to put in an enticing cross for Ryan Giggs.

Ronaldo saw much of the ball and his typical tricks on edge of the box, drawing four defenders out of position, enabled him to fire just wide of the upright.

United took a deserved lead in the simplest fashion on 27 minutes when Giggs floated over a corner and Vidic - who later went off with a slight groin strain - rose higher than skipper Yamaguchi to nod in while keeper Fujigaya flapped at thin air.

Unmarked Anderson should have then grabbed his first goal for United but could not get a firm connection on Ronaldo's cross.

With Gamba largely consigned to off-target long-range efforts, Ronaldo put United two ahead with another uncontested header from a decent Giggs corner in first-half injury time.

With the match drifting into exhibition mode, it took an explosive turn with the 73rd minute substitution of Tevez for Rooney. As soon as the Liverpudlian trotted on Gamba had the ball in the net, Masato Yamazaki superbly slotting home from 16 yards after he was found in space in the penalty area.

Yet, with the next attack, Darren Fletcher drifted a through ball over the top for fellow substitute Rooney who, after failing to control the ball on his chest, pounced to scramble a left-footed shot across the body of Fujigaya. Minutes later Fletcher headed in smartly himself after Patrice Evra whipped in a dangerous cross from the left wing.

And the rapid goal rush continued when Rooney grabbed his second in the 78th minute, the England striker cleverly toe-poking the ball low into the goal after great build-up play from Nani then Giggs.

But with the Premier League champions cruising at 5-1 up, captain Gary Neville was adjudged to have handballed Bando's cross and Endo calmly slotted in an excellent penalty. Gamba then lifted the atmosphere to new to hit an unlikely third as Hashimoto lashed the ball into the top corner from the edge of the area with Van der Sar brilliantly beaten.

Gamba Osaka: Fujigaya, Kaji, Nakazawa, Yamaguchi, Endo, Michihiro Yasuda, Myojin, Hashimoto, Bando, Lucas, Yamazaki.
Subs: Matsuyo, Shimohira, Terada, Futagawa, Kurata, Takei, Roneliton.

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Nani, Anderson, Scholes, Giggs, Ronaldo, Tevez.
Subs: Kuszczak, Rafael Da Silva, O'Shea, Evans, Carrick, Fletcher, Gibson, Park, Welbeck, Rooney, Amos.

Referee: Benito Archundia Tellez (Mexico)

Man Utd: No Real Contact

Submitted by CR7 on 18 December 2008 - 2:33pm.

Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson have reacted furiously to the news that Real Madrid claim to have already signed Cristiano Ronaldo.

Speaking after thegame, Sir Alex Ferguson insisted that United would NEVER sell Ronaldo to Real.

"Would I get into a contract with that mob? Absolutely no chance," he said. "I wouldn't sell them a virus - that's a no. There's no agreement whatsoever between the clubs.

"I said to David Gill a year last summer, when we sold Gabby Heinze, you can bet you life in January it will all start up with Ronaldo again. It'll happen again this January, believe me.

"We've just got to ignore it because if we keep worrying about what Real are going to say then we are not going to concentrate on our own programme of difficult games coming up. Sometimes it can be an angry situation and sometimes we are really annoyed with them, but we know the game and I think we should just play our game and ignore it all."

Cristiano was also dismissive of the claims "I don't care. I don't see newspapers," he said. "We are out here in Japan and I don't know nothing, what's happened around me.

"I am very happy (at Man Utd), very happy."

Sir Alex seems fairly clear that Ronaldo wont be going!