Unbelievable. Twice in one week Real break the world record and they say they are still after David Villa and Franck Ribery. If the team gels then they will be very to beat.
Man Utd will need to move quickly to buy a replacement because if they lose Carlos Tevez to Man City which is expected they wiull have a massive hole to fill. They have an old midfield in Scholes and Giggswhich lost them the Champions League final.

Don't write off Scholes and Giggs just yet. They are both invaluable squad members and when rested accordingly, can still deliver on those big occasions. The Champions League Final was just an 'off day' for the whole United team - not just for those two.

Long live the "financial crisis" :-)

Cheers,
Wuudy

Good move by United, in my opinion.

£80 million is absolute madness. Ronaldo's a great player, but no player is worth that much. Other parts of their squad need strengthened if they're going to be the best team in Europe again, and they could get a few genuinely world class players with that.

the amount of money Real have spent this week is mental. ..and it still might not guarantee them anything next season.

again, they are buying too many superstars, spending too much money, and again they won't achieve anything!

Great player, but a complete tosser. Disloyal little s-t.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-06-11 15:04 by Nikolai.

I am saddened to hear of his departure but it was inevitable.

I think United just have to grateful for his service and move on. I think - as Gazza pointed out - a few shrewd moves in the transfer window and Sir Alex will have them sorted for the start of next season. For the first time since the 'class of '92', it looks like there is a talented group of home-grown youngsters accelerating up the ranks, which is a real bonus as well.

Ronaldo is a superb player, but he didn't win the league for United alone. If anything, he was under par in comparison to 2007-08.

i reckon United have had Ronaldo pretty much at his peak, he might have another 2 great seasons - best cash in whilst they can! Good business for United.

Are Madrid 'killing football' just like Manchester City were when they bid for Kaka? Platini seems pretty quiet.....!

Quote
Paul Kersey
Are Madrid 'killing football' just like Manchester City were when they bid for Kaka? Platini seems pretty quiet.....!

Paul, first I'll come out and admit I'm a Man City fan. I'm not going to defend that sudden wealth....that's just the sad way football is going.

Real, and Chelsea aren't killing football. That happened, in England anyway, when seating was brought in, Sky TV bought the game up and the regular price of admission for the Premiership at least went through the roof with some clubs charging £50 upwards these days.

Money has taken over football but then again no one ever castigated Real, Barcelona, AC and Inter Milan, Juventus, Bayern, Utd, Liverpool and a few others for their major financial backing.

The best thing that can happen is that national leagues put a limit on the amount of foreign players a team can have although I think this will contravene the free movement espoused by the European Union.

Take the money and run!! No one is worth £80M plus he is a little too high maintenance,

Anyway, how is it he can walk away from crashing his Ferrari and yet a blade of grass seems to nearly kill him!

Visca el Barça !!!!!!

Visca el Barça !!!!!!

I am happy because inside that Real Madrid´s locker room will be a dynamite, Guti, Marcelo, Raul authentic problematic people, now Ronaldo with this economic crisis, almost 95 million of euros!!!
Spain has almost 20% of unemployment and going up, football is still the opium populate.
Happy because with Valdano inside all all these Kakás, Ronaldo´s etc, what a mess!!!

Visca el Barça !!!!!!

Villa and Silva from Valencia FC, aren´t going to Real Madrid, by the moment...

Carlitos
Tenerife

The most expensives players, transfers by the moment...

Carlitos
Tenerife

Jugador(Player) Comprador(buyer) Vendedor(seller) Precio(price) Año
1. Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid M. United 94 millones 2009
2. Zidane Real Madrid Juventus 72 millones 2001
3. Kaká Real Madrid Milan 65 millones 2009
4. Figo Real Madrid Barcelona 60 millones 2000
5. Crespo Lazio Parma 51.2 millones 2000
6. Buffon Juventus Parma 46,8 millones 2001
7. Ferdinand M. United Leeds 46 millones 2002
8. Vieri Inter Lazio 45,3 millones 1999
9. Shevchenko Chelsea Milan 45 millones 2006
10. Mendieta Lazio Valencia 44,9 millones 2001
11. Ronaldo R. Madrid Inter 43,9 millones

Crespo 51.2 mill?? SERIOUSLY??

ronaldo is a good player but not worth that much.

waaaaay too much. it's not sport anymore, it's business. and the prices are rising all the time.

Quote
Paul Kersey
Are Madrid 'killing football' just like Manchester City were when they bid for Kaka? Platini seems pretty quiet.....!

From The Daily Mail:

Michel Platini has broken his silence about Real Madrid's 'excessive' spending spree to warn that the transfer system must change.

The UEFA president has previously been outspoken in his criticism of how the spending power of English clubs is unsustainable.

And he has now hit out at Madrid after their £56million signing of Kaka from AC Milan was followed with an £80m offer for Manchester United and the promise of more signings to come.

'These excessive transfers are happening almost every day,' Platini told AFP. 'These transfers are a serious challenge to the idea of fair play and the concept of financial balance in our competitions.'

The Frenchman has vowed to clean up the financial side of the game and create a level economic playing field.

'UEFA are working hard with clubs to set up a new set of rules as soon as is possible to clean up the system and give it a more solid, more transparent base,' he said. 'That is our top priority today.'

Platini is a critic of the level of debt carried by the Barclays Premier League 'Big Four' of Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal - estimated recently at £2bn - and wants powers to bar debt-laden clubs from the Champions League and newly formed Europa League.

He called Manchester City's £100m bid to sign Kaka from AC Milan in January 'ridiculous from a social, football and financial point of view'.

Ronaldo’s proposed transfer was revealed as the pound hit its highest level against the euro for six months - and until the deal is sealed every increase will cost the Spanish giants even more.

The pound hit 1.17 euros and currency experts calculate that each cent the euro falls will cost the Spaniards an extra one million euros.


The £80million price the two clubs have agreed would have cost Real Madrid €83 million in January when the pound was much weaker. But at today’s exchange rate the same sterling amount will cost Real Madrid €93 million.


Mark O’Sullivan, director of dealing at foreign exchange firm Currencies Direct, said: 'While the Ronaldo deal is good news for Real Madrid supporters, the accountants at the Bernabeu stadium will be sweating until the paperwork is all signed and sealed.'
[www.dailymail.co.uk]


"As we say in England, it can get a bit trainspottery"

Quote
carlitosbaez
Visca el Barça !!!!!!

I am happy because inside that Real Madrid´s locker room will be a dynamite, Guti, Marcelo, Raul authentic problematic people, now Ronaldo with this economic crisis, almost 95 million of euros!!!
Spain has almost 20% of unemployment and going up, football is still the opium populate.
Happy because with Valdano inside all all these Kakás, Ronaldo´s etc, what a mess!!!

Visca el Barça !!!!!!

Villa and Silva from Valencia FC, aren´t going to Real Madrid, by the moment...

Carlitos
Tenerife

Well, then EU needs to send even more money to Spain to fill up Spains governments enourmous financial hole, and the corrupt guys like Perez can walk away laughing all over their face with their pockets filled with money gotten from corrupt construction deals with the government.
I say stop paying money to EU until the system has become clean - no more money to corrupt guys.

In two or three years time, Florentino Perez will need to sell the Bernabeu stadium to afford the 500 millions euro that Madrid has to return to different banks.
Real started the race with Kaka and Ronaldo, but more are coming. Other teams are on the way to contact other players and lke a chain now Milan and United have a lot of money to continue with more adquisitions. What a summer!!!

football is not superstore thing, buying and selling
it is about grooming teams that become good

6853
liverpool fan

haha, they payed that much for that twat? they're probably still in a state of shock after that 6:2 punishment they got from barca some weeks ago!

barca that's a cool club!

any club that pays 1 euro for that emberassing idiot c.r is a shit-club!

are you with me carlitos? VAMOS BARCA!!!!!!!

Good news for Barça. And sorry for Pellegrini, who's a nice guy but I don't think he'll be able to manage this jerk. The locker romm will be a big circus. Really great news for Barça.

I'm I jealous? No, I don't think so, I would have been sad if had gone to Barcelona. Never like this guy.

Can't imagine Messi's market value.

I´m very proud that from the first 4 of that list, 2,Cristiano Ronaldo and Figo, came my club of heart Sporting Club de Portugal, which means that they(my team) will receive a small part (5%) of the cake of money.What they did and do after that I really dont care.But if he doesnt play for my team , Then I would rather see him playing for Barcelona.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-06-12 12:36 by Riffbuk.

Is it any true that Real Madrd is somehow financed thorugh Spanish citizens' taxes? I've heard something like this on t.v. but I wholeheartedly hope is not true...

Yes Riffbuck I would prefer to see the guy in blaugrana.

But today: MoneyTalks

OI Sergio!!!
Long time no see!! Que é Feito??

Happy to see the back of the diving, blarting, cheating, nancy boy

Quote
Silver Dagger

The best thing that can happen is that national leagues put a limit on the amount of foreign players a team can have although I think this will contravene the free movement espoused by the European Union.

What we seem to be left with are teams that are just brands, with players who have no connection at all to the local area. In the World Cup, players must have been born in the country they're playing for - why can't a similar restriction be added to national leagues?

I think that the UEFA should impose something similar to the salary cap used in the USA. They also should apply limits to the amounts a team can be in debt.

Without it you have 3 or 4 good teams in each league and 14 or 16 crappy ones, with no money and no way to compete. Yes, once in a while a poor team over achives and gives a bit of flavor to a given season, but these are exeptions.

If you root for Lenz or Almeria or Genoa or any other little team you know that your home team is destined to go nowhere, year after year. With a salary cap talent is better spread.

I also think that the "Champions League" should be played only by "Champions".