United and Real chiefs to come face to face in Switzerland next month
Manchester United and Real Madrid will shortly come face to face in Switzerland for the first time since Cristiano Ronaldo expressed his desire to leave Old Trafford for the Spanish club.
As United continue to tell Real they have no intention of selling their star player, the giants of the world game will meet in Nyon on Monday, July 7, as the new European Club Association (ECA) is convened.
Transfer saga: Cristiano Ronaldo
United chief executive David Gill and Real president Ramon Calderon are expected to attend the first meeting of the body that replaces the G14 organisation,
which has traditionally represented Europe’s superclubs. Last night the president-elect of the new ECA, Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, was critical of Real’s pursuit of Ronaldo.
He said: ‘I’m not worried about the case because the rules are clear and United have a very strong contract with the player for the next four years.
‘Besides, I know enough about Sir Alex Ferguson to know that when he says no, he means no.
‘I can’t believe a club like Real Madrid can force a player like Ronaldo to cause such tension, because the price they will have to pay is too high for everyone.
‘I think that is dangerous for world football. I’d like to see Ronaldo stay at the club for the benefit of everyone.’
Rummenigge and his club are used to dealing with such situations, with Bayern making United wait a year before they were able to sign Owen Hargreaves.
