Ronaldo staying at United - Queiroz Sunday June 05, 2005
Carlos Queiroz
Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been linked to Spanish giants Real Madrid, is staying put at Manchester United, the English Premiership club's assistant manager Carlos Queiroz said on Saturday.
"That is speculation. Manchester United is building an entire project around Ronaldo. Around him, striker Wayne Rooney and the younger players," he said in an interview published in daily Portuguese newspaper 24Horas.
Manchester signed the 20-year-old from Sporting Lisbon for five years in a deal worth just over £12-million in August 2003.
Queiroz added that age would not be an impediment to signing Real Madrid winger Luis Figo but he refused to say if the club has its sights set on the 32-year-old.
"I don't want to speculate about that. The decisions we make are not made according to ages, but according to the interests of the team. As far as I know Figo is at Real Madrid," the Portuguese assistant manager said.
The Spanish press reported earlier this week that Real Madrid had released the player, who has been demoted to the bench at the club since early April.
Queiroz, a close friend of Figo, coached Real Madrid in the 2003/04 season but was sacked after the club finished fourth in the league.
A one-time coach of the Portuguese national team, Queiroz is widely tipped to take over from Sir Alex Ferguson when he eventually steps down at Old Trafford.
