Ronaldo will be a Madrid player one day, says Schuster

Published on Wednesday 2 April 2008 23:09

REAL Madrid manager Bernd Schuster said yesterday he is more determined than ever to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, the player he believes has deposed Kaka as the best in the world.

Schuster accepts it will be almost impossible to prise the Portugal winger away from Old Trafford in the near future but reckons he will one day join the Spanish giants.

"In these types of things it is best to be realistic. Cristiano Ronaldo right now is a 10 out of 10, the best in the world," said Schuster in the wake of the player's brilliant performance in Manchester United's 2-0 win at Roma in the Champions League quarter-final, first leg.

Schuster added in Spanish newspaper AS: "In the short term I cannot see it as being possible, but I think in a few years that he could wear the Madrid shirt in the Bernabeu.

"He is the star at Old Trafford and until he wins a Champions League and some more Premier League titles they are not going to allow him to escape."

Comparing 23-year-old Ronaldo with the reigning World Player of the Year, Schuster said: "For me, Cristiano Ronaldo is already better than Kaka after the Brazilian's loss of form at Milan this season. Some day he will be with us..."

Roma midfielder David Pizarro also rates Ronaldo as a great player but reckons the Manchester United winger has a lot to learn regarding sportsmanship.

Pizarro accused Ronaldo of showing arrogance and a lack of respect towards his opponents in the Eternal City on Tuesday night.

Ronaldo, who scored the opener with a stunning header and almost made it 3-0 when he hit the bar, was booed by the home crowd for teasing opposing defenders with his tricks on the pitch.

"Despite the fact that he is a great champion, he is very arrogant," said Pizarro. "He does certain spiteful things on the pitch. This is the ugliest thing for a player. In the return leg, I will have something to say to him."

The young Portuguese is unlikely to be losing sleep over that threat in the wake of another spellbinding chapter in what has been a phenomenal season. Nor should he take to heart the accusation of arrogance from an Italian footballer – which is a bit like being told to lower your voice by an American tourist at the Colosseum.

"It's nothing against my rivals," responded Ronaldo. "Those plays are just part of my way of interpreting football. I have always done them, even three or four years ago when I was younger. But there are plays that I do for the good of the team and never to ridicule my opponents. I tried to do the best for Manchester United and not to make a show. It's just a part of who I am."

Of course, players like Ronaldo need a touch of audacity and swagger and no-one could argue that the obvious confidence he has in his own abilities is misplaced.

As if the sublime skills he conjures with his boots were not enough for opponents to contend with, Tuesday was another reminder of the aerial threat that makes Ronaldo pretty much the complete attacking player.

His 39th-minute opener in Rome was arguably as good as headed goals get, combining athleticism, perfect timing, marvellous technique and not a little bravery as he took a whack for his troubles at the moment he connected with Paul Scholes' dinked cross.

It truly was a memorable goal, his 36th of the season, although the bump he took on the side of the head means Ronaldo himself has no memory of it.

"To be honest, I don't remember much about the goal," he said. "I went down and I felt pain. I didn't enjoy it. But I will have time to watch it on television – others say it's a good goal."

It was his seventh in eight European games this season and when Wayne Rooney added a second to seal a 2-0 victory it would now seem inevitable that Manchester United will face Barcelona in the last four after the Catalan giants also recorded an away win at Schalke.

However, Ronaldo is wary of calling the tie in United's favour at the halfway stage. "To win 2-0 away is a great result for us. But it is wrong to think that it's all done.

"We now have the return leg at home and we have a chance. If we carry on like this and play well at home, we will get there. I think the second goal killed the game off. We had several chances after to score more goals but a 2-0 win is a good result.

"It's always important not to concede goals and to keep a clean sheet as it is good for confidence."

The only downside for United was a knee injury sustained by defender Nemanja Vidic. The Serbia international was due to have a scan today to assess the extent of the problem. Vidic came off in the 33rd minute and was replaced by John O'Shea, who slotted in well at the back alongside the tremendous Rio Ferdinand.

Indeed, while Ronaldo and Rooney understandably took the headlines, Tuesday's victory was as much down to a superb professional defensive effort as it was to attacking verve.

It was United's fifth straight clean sheet in all competitions and that was not lost on Rooney, who said afterwards: "The defence was brilliant, as they have been all season, so hopefully that will continue.

"I thought we defended well as a team. It was important to try to keep a clean sheet and then hopefully nick a goal.

"We did that just before half-time and it put us in a good position in the second half.

"We knew Roma would come out and attack us and it created a bit of space for us. We had the two counter-attacks and made them count."

Defender Patrice Evra was delighted with the way United went about their business. He said: "We are very happy with that performance but there's still a second game to think about. In football, you never know but we are very satisfied with our position. I think the team played very well and we did a very professional job.

"It's now important we stay professional and hopefully we'll get through to the semi-final."

Rooney has now struck six goals in seven games against Italian opposition since April last year but he refused to get too carried away.

"It was a good professional job to come here and play well, and it gives us a good platform for next week," he said.

"With the Champions League you never know so we'll have to go out focused and with a good attitude and then hopefully we'll see the second leg through."