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Ronaldo sees no future at Man United
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July 09, 2006 19:08 IST

Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo [Images] has said he sees no future for himself at Manchester United [Images] and wants to move to Spain's Primera Liga as soon as possible.

"I'm not going to stay at Manchester United," Ronaldo was quoted as saying in Spanish sports daily Marca on Sunday.

Ronaldo said the aftermath of the incident with club mate Wayne Rooney [Images] during Portugal's World Cup quarter-final win over England [Images] made it impossible for him to remain at United.

The winger ran 40 metres to protest to the referee about the foul on Ricardo Carvalho that saw the England striker sent off.

"After what happened with Rooney I can't remain there. In a couple of days I will have my future sorted out and I want to go to Real Madrid [Images]," the paper reported.

Portuguese newspaper Record quoted Ronaldo saying: "To be honest it has been difficult to think about continuing in England. They're making a storm in a teacup. It's difficult to return to a country where you're not welcome."

Marca's rival daily AS carried quotes from the 21-year-old also saying he wanted to quit the Premier League but leaving open the possibility of moving to Real's arch-rivals Barcelona.

"I don't want to stay in England," he was quoted as saying. "Everyone knows it is my dream to play in Spain.

"Real and Barca are the two teams I like and I will play for one of them. My agent will meet with the owner of Manchester United to sort out my situation.

"I don't think I've got the support of the owner or the manager (Alex Ferguson). Neither of them has backed me."

Last month Ronaldo aligned himself with Real Madrid presidential candidate Juan Miguel Villar Mir, saying he would try to join Real if the construction magnate won the election.

Villar Mir came third in the poll but Ronaldo has continued to be linked with the club.

Asked about the likelihood of Ronaldo joining Real in a news conference last Friday, newly-appointed coach Fabio Capello replied: "Cristiano Ronaldo is a great player, but he belongs to Manchester. These things need to be talked about.

"It appears that he wants to come here and that is lucky for me. Nearly every player wants to play at this club. Let's see what happens."

Ronaldo joined United from Sporting in 2003 for $20.63 million (11.14 million pounds). He signed a contract extension last November that tied him to the club until 2010.

(Additional reporting by Brian Homewood in Stuttgart)



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