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Real Madrid President Ramon Calderon Admits Ronaldo Is Surplus To Team Requirements

Submitted by Niraj Prabhu on Tue, 16/01/2007 - 08:41.

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has admitted that Brazilian star striker Ronaldo is surplus to requirements.

With coach Fabio Capello in the process of rebuilding the side, the big names in international football have been relegated to the Real bench this season.

The fall-out of the Capello regime has one victim already in former England captain, midfielder David Beckham, who will be on his way to MLS side Los Angeles Galaxy at the end of his contract in June.

The Italian coach had declared that Beckham, Ronaldo and Italian striker Antonio Cassano would also play no part for Real in the remainder of the season.

Ronaldo has only started three league matches under Capello this season, scoring once.

And with the 30-year-old Ronaldo being linked with offers from Saudi Arabian club Al Ittihad and several others from Italy and USA, Calderon’s admission on Monday has confirmed that the three times FIFA world player of the year Ronaldo’s days at the Santiago Bernabeu are numbered.

"The situation with Ronaldo is different to that of David Beckham as he still has another year left after this one," Calderon told radio station Onda Madrid.

Calderon hoped that it would be better for the club and Ronaldo, who has scored 69 goals for Real since he joined them in 2002 from Inter Milan, that he went if there are offers.

"Ronaldo is going to be inactive because the coach has made it clear he doesn't count on him, and it would surely be better for the club and him if he went if there are offers. If not, he will stay with us.”

Calderon also stressed that the club will make all efforts to find an exit for Ronaldo, who was hailed as one of the greatest football players in the world by Brazilian legend Pele in 2004.

"We have to find an exit that's good for him. I know sporting director Predrag Mijatovic has had conversations with some clubs, and that the player also has offers. But we'll have to wait and see whether it will be now or in June."

Ronaldo is the all-time highest goal-scorer in the World Cup finals with 15 goals, and was the member of the 1994 and 2002 World-Cup winning Brazilian sides.

He was however, unimpressive in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, although he inscribed his name in the history there – one being for the all-time highest scorer surpassing Gerd Muller (14) and scoring at least three goals in three different World Cups to become only the second player to do so – the other being Jurgen Klinsmann.