Bayern Munich’s Ribery too pricey, even for Real
Güncelleme Tarihi:
AFP
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Temmuz 09, 2009 00:00
MADRID - Real Madrid has resigned itself to the fact that it will not be able to recruit French international Franck Ribery from Bayern Munich this season due to the German club's intransigence, Real director general Jorge Valdano says.
"We have the feeling that Ribery will not quit Bayern this season," he told radio Marca late Tuesday.
"Bayern finds many ways to say no, sometimes saying it categorically, sometimes by talking of a transfer fee of 80 million euros, which is another way of saying no," he added.
Another opportunity
"So it is with resignation that we will wait for another opportunity which will certainly come. He has two years left on his contract with Bayern, and well, life is long," Valdano said.
German daily tabloid Bild reported on Tuesday that Bayern had set a price tag of 80 million euros on the 26-year-old midfielder and had given Real until July 16 to decide if it is ready to stump up the cash or not.
Bayern's new coach Louis van Gaal said Sunday that the issue of a possible transfer would be resolved faster as the uncertainty is bad both for Ribery, who has said he wants to go to Real, and the team which is upset with the battle raging on the future its star player.
Valdano also told Radio Marca that Real's efforts to recruit Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso had cooled in the face of Liverpool's demand of 47 million euros for the player.
"They demanded a transfer amount that was too high for our taste. It is possible that the emergence of a club like Real Madrid, which has emerged with such determination on the market has generated confusion in some clubs. They think that Real Madrid is a bottomless pit but not true," he said.
According to sports daily Marca, Real "has activated a plan B" and is negotiating the possible transfer of Italian international Daniele De Rossi from AS Roma for a maximum of 30 million euros.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid sold 15 Cristiano Ronaldo jerseys per minute at the club's shop at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in the two hours that followed the player's presentation on Monday.
The shop sold 2,000 jerseys bearing the Portuguese striker's name and the number nine once sported by club legend Alfredo di Stefano during the period at 85 euros each for a total revenue of 170,000 euros, sports dailies AS and Marca reported.
"Bayern finds many ways to say no, sometimes saying it categorically, sometimes by talking of a transfer fee of 80 million euros, which is another way of saying no," he added.
Another opportunity
"So it is with resignation that we will wait for another opportunity which will certainly come. He has two years left on his contract with Bayern, and well, life is long," Valdano said.
German daily tabloid Bild reported on Tuesday that Bayern had set a price tag of 80 million euros on the 26-year-old midfielder and had given Real until July 16 to decide if it is ready to stump up the cash or not.
Bayern's new coach Louis van Gaal said Sunday that the issue of a possible transfer would be resolved faster as the uncertainty is bad both for Ribery, who has said he wants to go to Real, and the team which is upset with the battle raging on the future its star player.
Valdano also told Radio Marca that Real's efforts to recruit Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso had cooled in the face of Liverpool's demand of 47 million euros for the player.
"They demanded a transfer amount that was too high for our taste. It is possible that the emergence of a club like Real Madrid, which has emerged with such determination on the market has generated confusion in some clubs. They think that Real Madrid is a bottomless pit but not true," he said.
According to sports daily Marca, Real "has activated a plan B" and is negotiating the possible transfer of Italian international Daniele De Rossi from AS Roma for a maximum of 30 million euros.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid sold 15 Cristiano Ronaldo jerseys per minute at the club's shop at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in the two hours that followed the player's presentation on Monday.
The shop sold 2,000 jerseys bearing the Portuguese striker's name and the number nine once sported by club legend Alfredo di Stefano during the period at 85 euros each for a total revenue of 170,000 euros, sports dailies AS and Marca reported.