Sir Alex Ferguson has ordered
Cristiano Ronaldo to return to Manchester United in two weeks to
finally put an end to the ongoing saga surrounding his
future.
Fergie was said to be furious
at Ronaldo agreeing with FIFA chief Sepp Blatter that the United
winger had been treated like a slave by his club, for not allowing
him to complete his dream move to Real Madrid - who intended to
unveil him on July 7.
United embark on a 10-day
preseason tour of South Africa next Thursday and return on July 28,
the day Fergie wants Ronaldo back at their Carrington training base
for clear-the-air talks.
Although Ronaldo will not be
able to join in pre-season training after undergoing ankle surgery,
Fergie wants him under his wing to begin his recuperation and end
the circus surrounding his future. United have lost patience with
Ronaldo and took exception to his claim that he had been treated
like a modern-day slave.
Despite United's firm stance,
Ronaldo's desire to join Real is stronger than ever following an
interview on Portuguese TV in which he admitted he wanted a fresh
challenge. He refused to pledge his future to the Reds.
There is a belief among the
United hierarchy that getting Ronaldo back to Manchester as soon as
he is able to begin his rehab would go a long way to ending the
destabilising effect of the constant speculation concerning where
he will be playing next season.
