[alex18122003]

Real Madrid says 100m euros is too much for Ronaldo

MADRID (AFP) - Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has dismissed talk that the Spanish champions would be willing to pay 100 million euros (155 million dollars) to sign Manchester United's Portuguese playmaker Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Real Madrid will never pay 100 million euros for anybody," Spanish sports daily Marca quoted him as saying at a sports even in Madrid on Monday night.

Calderon's comments come just two days after Real's German coach Bernd Schuster said the club would be willing to pay that amount to secure the services of the 23-year-old winger.

"For such a player we will pay what is necessary because what counts for us is to win the Champions League," he told German TV station DSF.

Marca, citing unnamed Real officials, said the Spanish club had an offer of 85 million euros in the works for Ronaldo which it will partially finance with the sale of its Brazilian atttacker Robinho to Chelsea.

Real hope to officially unveil Ronaldo on July 7 at its Santiago Bernabeu stadium at an even where it expects to draw 60,000 people, it added.

The club will only unveil the player after FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta's confidence vote on July 6 which was requested by two supporters who were angered by the Catalan side's poor performance last season so as to not embarass him, Marca reported.

"Real Madrid is a gentleman and does not want in any way to hurt Barcelona," a Real official told Marca.

Manchester United have repeatedly said the player - whose contract runs until 2012 - is definitely not for sale.

United earlier this month reported nine-time European champions Real to UEFA for trying to unsettle their prize asset, currently on a 120,000 pounds-a-week contract but who could see that sum double if he switched to the Bernabeu.

After Portugal were ousted from the Euro 2008 last week following a 3-2 defeat to Germany, the 23-year-old star said he would announce his future intentions in "two to three days".