corrects city in 4th para to Madrid
By James Eve
ROME, Jan 30 - AC Milan signed Brazil striker
Ronaldo from Real Madrid on Tuesday for 7.5 million euros ($9.7
million).
The 30-year-old striker, three-times FIFA World Player of
the Year, signed an 18-month contract until June 30, 2008, the
Serie A club announced.
Milan are paying 7.5 million euros for the Brazilian up
front and an extra 0.5 million if they qualify for the Champions
League this season or next, the Italian club's vice-president
Adriano Galliani said.
"It is a very satisfactory agreement for a top-class
player," Galliani told reporters at the Bernabeu in Madrid where
Ronaldo signed his new deal.
"I'll be delighted to pay the full eight million because it
will mean Milan have qualified for the Champions League."
Ronaldo, who inspired Brazil to World Cup victory in 2002
and holds the record for goals scored in World Cup tournaments
with 15, was flying later to Milan, the city where he played for
his new club's rivals Inter from 1997 to 2002.
He becomes the 10th foreign player to play for both Inter
and Milan, joining a select group that includes Clarence
Seedorf, Hernan Crespo, Edgar Davids and Patrick Vieira.
Real coach Fabio Capello, talking to Italian regional TV
station Tele Lombardia in Madrid, said: "I wish him the best of
luck in doing what he used to do which is being a great player."
CAPELLO CRITICISM
Ronaldo had been angling for a move ever since Capello, who
arrived from Juventus at the start of the season, criticised him
as being overweight and said he was no longer in his plans.
He seemed to make reference to the deterioration of his
relationship with the Italian coach as he left the Bernabeu on
his way to the airport.
"I would like to thank the fans who've supported me all the
time and thank all the team mates that I've had here and all the
coaches I've had - except one," he said.
"It's sad because I've been here four-and-a-half years, but
now I've got another important challenge in my life and that is
to succeed in Milan.
"It breaks your heart, but that's life. It is a shame.
"I never had any problems with the coach, but he didn't want
me and as I'm a professional I wanted to carry on playing and so
we looked for another solution."
Real confirmed the deal in a statement on their Web site
(www.realmadrid.com) which said: "Real Madrid would like to
recognise everything that this special player has given the club
during his time here. Madrid fans will never forget the moments
of great football that he has provided."
DRAWN-OUT NEGOTIATIONS
The move ends more than two weeks of negotiations between
the clubs for the Brazilian, whose contract with Real was due to
expire at the end of next season.
Ronaldo scored 104 goals for Real since joining them in
August 2002.
He was the club's leading scorer in each of his four
previous seasons in Spain but had limited opportunities to shine
following knee surgery after the World Cup last year with coach
Fabio Capello preferring Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy up
front.
In a separate but related deal, Real Madrid were reported to
be close to agreeing to sign Milan's Brazilian striker Ricardo
Oliveira on loan until the end of the season.
The 26-year-old, who has scored just two league goals since
joining Milan from Real Betis for a reported fee of 17.5 million
euros on the final day of the close season, was left out of the
Milan squad for Wednesday's Italian Cup match against AS Roma.
(Additional reporting by Simon Baskett in Madrid)