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| Ronaldo receives a police escort as he leaves Inter Milan's headquaters late last night. About 200 fans had gathered to vent their anger over his move to Real Madrid. (© Reuters) |
After weeks of speculation Real Madrid finally brought an end to the Ronaldo transfer saga when they agreed a deal to sign the Brazil striker from Inter Milan minutes before Europe's transfer deadline expired yesterday evening.
Ronaldo will sign a four-year deal at Real who will pay a total of €47 million for the 25-year-old former Barcelona player whose goals fired Brazil to a record fifth World Cup triumph in South Korea and Japan in June.
"Real Madrid would like to announce that they have reached an agreement with Inter Milan for the transfer of Ronaldo who will join the club next Monday to undergo a medical and will then be presented to the media at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium," said a spokesman for the Spanish club.
An Inter spokesman confirmed the deal with the European champions had been agreed and the Serie A club added that they had also reached an agreement to sign Argentina striker Hernan Crespo from Lazio to replace the departing Ronaldo.
"It is a happy day for Real Madrid and we are very satisfied to have signed one of the most important players in the world and contribute to the prestige and spectacle in the Santiago Bernabeu," Real's sporting director Jorge Valdano told reporters at a hastily convened press conference.
Valdano made it clear that Ronaldo had been prepared to take a salary cut in order to ensure the move to Real.
"If Ronaldo had not made such a great effort he would not be coming to the club," he said. "He was prepared to reduce his salary and showed great enthusiasm at wanting to play here."
Valdano explained that the failure to include striker Fernando Morientes as part of the deal meant the overall cost was slightly less than the club had originally envisaged. He said both players had been registered for European and domestic matches and Ronaldo would change his shirt from his customary nine to the number 11, while Morientes would keep the former number.
Beating the midnight transfer deadline means Real will now be able to field Ronaldo in the first phase of this season's Champions League competition, which they open with a game away to Inter's domestic rivals Roma on September 17th.
The European Cup is the only major title missing from Ronaldo's collection. He has two World Cup winners' medals with Brazil and won the UEFA Cup with Inter in 1998 and the Cup Winners' Cup with Barcelona in 1997.
For Real, who picked up another piece of silverware for their trophy cabinet with a sparkling 3-1 win in the European Super Cup against Feyenoord on Friday night, the deal means they have added another world class player to their star-studded squad.
After their world record purchases of Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane the Real team will now contain five out of the last six winners of the World Player of the Year award and a glance at the team sheet should be enough to strike fear into opponents.
But Valdano was anxious to play down talk that the Ronaldo signing might now make Real invincible.
"No, we won't be unbeatable," he said. "We still have to produce the goods on the pitch - that is where teams earn their reputation, not with team photographs."
Meanwhile, outside Milan's headquarters some 200 angry Inter fans vented their anger towards their former idol shouting, "Piece of shit, go home" and holding up large banners saying "Infame" [disgrace].
Only a week ago Real announced they had given up on the deal, but with the European wide transfer deadline looming and Ronaldo still stating that he was determined to leave Inter the convoluted transfer saga took a final course.
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