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Scolari: United can't bully Ronaldo
New Chelsea boss, Phil Scolari has started an early war of words with Sir Alex Ferguson by declaring Manchester United will not be able to bully Cristiano Ronaldo into staying at Old Trafford.
Scolari, Ronaldo's Euro 2008 boss, has already got under the United chief's skin in the long-running saga of whether the Portugal ace will join Real Madrid for a reputed 80m this summer.
United play Chelsea in the Premier League in the middle of September and the tension between the two clubs will not have been helped by Scolari's latest intervention.
"You'll never break Cristiano Ronaldo - he's the strongest man in football," Big Phil taunted. "I know Cristiano well and I know the type of person he is so I have no doubts about how he will handle himself in the next few weeks.
"His dream is to play for Real and I am sure he will do whatever it takes to fulfil that.
"People must understand that Cristiano becomes stronger with all his difficulties and the stories about him.
"What happened to him at the World Cup in 2006 in the quarter-final against England would have crushed many other players (ndash) but not Cristiano.
"And what has been happening around him here in Euro 2008 with the uncertainty about his future has not affected him I know that because I have been with him. He is so strong mentally and he is in control of his own destiny and because of that United can do nothing to hurt him."
Some critics in Portugal have suggested all the talk of moving to Madrid took Ronaldo's eye off the ball during the Championships and contributed to their last eight early departure.
"Cristiano has been completely focused and if I had any doubts I wouldn't have put him in my 23 and given him an important role in the team," added Scolari.
"I trust him as an athlete and as a person."
Madrid president Ramon Calderon has stressed his club will not "interfere or create any problems" for United.
Calderon said: "We will not make a move until the team (Manchester United) says they want to sell the player.
"Right now they are saying the contrary and there's little we can do."
"Once Ronaldo announces his future and once his club accept to sell him then we would have talks," he added.
"Right now, he is a player of Manchester United."
Real coach Bernd Schuster has urged his club to "pay what is necessary" to take Ronaldo to the Bernabeu.
United continue to insist the winger is not for sale, but with Ronaldo refusing to publicly commit to the European champions a move seems on the cards.
"For a player of his kind of level, we must pay what is necessary," said Schuster.
"Because, for us what is most important is to win the Champions League and he can help us achieve that."
United have reported the Spanish club to world governing body FIFA over what they consider to be attempts to unsettle the player.
And the Madrid boss admitted he would have behaved similarly with such a vital player as Ronaldo, who scored 42 goals last season.
Other sports stories:
>> Hart's ready to reject Spurs move
>> United confident of Tevez deal
>> Everton swoop for Spurs star
>> Ronaldinho welcomes English move
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Friday 25 May 2012
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