“I am very proud and honored to be able to go back and serve my country,” the Portuguese Football Federation quoted Queiroz.

The 55 year old has agreed to a 4 year deal with the Federação Portuguesa de Futebol after serving a total of 5 years at Old Trafford. Queiroz has a phenomenal eye for recognizing young talent and is often credited with helping bring in the likes Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani and Anderson.

When Queiroz left Manchester United the first time to manage Real Madrid in the 2003-2004 season. Queiroz urged Real to buy Pepe for 2 millions Euros, claiming he would become one of the best center backs. Real refused, claiming center backs do not sell shirts. Ironically just 3 years later Real Madrid bought Pepe, for 30 million Euros.

“Carlos Queiroz is unquestionably one of the top Portuguese coaches and was my first choice to be head coach,” said Portuguese Football Federation president Gilbert Madail.

Good luck Mr. Queiroz, we’re going to miss you. And don’t worry, I’m sure Old Trafford’s door will be open if you ever decide to come back.

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Blatter has once again opened his mouth with out thinking. Here is what the FIFA president had to say.

“The important thing is, we should also protect the player,” Blatter told Sky News.

Protect the player? Players need to respect contracts! They are grown men and they signed the contract, live with your decision!

“If the player wants to play somewhere else, then a solution should be found because if he stays in a club where he does not feel comfortable to play then it’s not good for the player and for the club.

“I’m always in favor of protecting the player and if the player, he wants to leave, let him leave.”

“I think in football there’s too much modern slavery in transferring players or buying players here and there, and putting them somewhere,”

“We are trying now to intervene in such cases. The reaction to the Bosman law is to make long-lasting contacts in order to keep the players and then if he wants to leave, then there is only one solution, he has to pay his contract.”

People in his position need to understand that its best to not voice their opinions on certain matters.

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Stretford was charged with failing to protect Rooney’s interests and failing to respect the rights of third parties. Stretford was also charged with “making of false and/or misleading witness statements to police and giving false and/or misleading testimony to Warrington Crown Court” in a case about the circumstances of how he came to represent the England striker.

An FA statement read: “The commission found that Mr Stretford did encourage Mr Rooney and his parents to enter into a representation agreement with Proactive Sports Management Limited on July 17 2002 although he knew Mr Rooney was still then under contract with Pro-Form Sports Management Limited.”

In relation to the Warrington Crown Court case, the commission found proven two improper conduct charges.

The statement added: “The commission found that Mr Stretford had made a misleading witness statement and had given untruthful evidence in court in criminal proceedings in Warrington Crown Court, particularly in relation to the existence, dates and nature of those representation agreements dated July 17 2002 and September 19 2002.”

A further charge of entering into a representation contract with Rooney for eight years - six years longer than the two-year limit for written contracts between agents and their clients - was also proved.
Two other charges of failing to lodge representation contracts with the FA were also proved, but a third was not.

Stretford described the verdicts as “a travesty” and said he will be launching an immediate appeal.
He said in a statement: “I believe the verdicts of the disciplinary panel against me are a travesty of the facts heard by its members during the hearing.

“I will be lodging an immediate appeal against the verdicts and continue to maintain my complete innocence of the charges brought against me.

“These charges came about as a result of my appearance at a criminal trial as a witness for the prosecution against men accused of blackmailing me with menaces.

“In pursuing their case against me, the FA seems almost wilfully to have cast me as the accused in the trial rather than a prosecution witness acting properly in the interests of justice.”
Stretford believes had the case been heard in public, the outcome would have been favourable.
He added: “It has always been my contention that the FA case against me should have been heard in public and by an independent panel. Had that been the case, I believe the verdicts would have been very different.

“Finally, I would like to add my sincere thanks at this stage to all those who gave evidence at the FA hearing on my behalf and particularly to Manchester United chief executive David Gill, [PFA chief executive] Gordon Taylor and to Wayne Rooney and his family.

“I appreciate their continuing support as well as that of the board of Formation Group with whose backing I
shall continue to fight against these unjust charges.”

This story was obtained through Eurosport

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June 24th  -  “We are very happy with the declaration of the player [that he wants to join Real]. But it does not depend on him, it depends on United,”
June 28th  -  “Madrid cannot do anything (to get Ronaldo) if Manchester do not want to sell their player.”
July 6th -  “They (United) don’t want to sell so we can’t do anything.”

After acknowledging United had the final say, Calderon contradicts himself…

July 7th  -  “It depends on the player, on Ronaldo. Since I’ve known football it has been the case that the desires of the footballer are what decide matters.”
“If Ronaldo wants to leave Manchester, he’ll leave. If he wants to stay, he’ll stay.”

Wait, I thought it depended on Manchester United.
Just shut up already Calderon!

The only person more contradicting then Calderon, could quite possibly be Ronaldo himself.

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United said that he would “begin his convalescence under the direction of club medical staff” , and that no return date would be set for at least a month.

Which means Ronaldo is likely out for the start of the next season, which starts August 16th

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“I know certain English clubs are following me, like Manchester United, who are very interested in me.”

I’m ecstatic to hear confirmation that United are “very interested” in Klaas Jan Huntelaar, I believe he will do very well in the EPL.
Huntelaar is very similar to van Nistelrooy. Klaas is 1.86m(6ft 1in) Ruud is 1.88(6ft 2in) both made there mark with SC Heerenveen. Ruud made the move to the EPL at 24, Klaas is now 24. Ruud had racked up 119 goals before joining Man U, Klaas has130 goals so far.

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There is no doubt he will leave Ajax. I just hope Manchester United take Huntelaar into serious consideration. He was one for one in Euro 2008, when he scored a very “van Nistelrooy” like goal in the Holland vs. Romania game.

Real Madrid and Arsenal are also believed to be strongly linked with the Dutch international.

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“I am thankful to be able to return home,” said Pique. “It is a dream to return home.
“When I was 17 I took the decision to leave because when you are younger your first dream is to play football and the other to play for Barca.”
“Today it has happened, I am proud and very happy. I would love to retire here.”

I still think it was a mistake to let Pique go! He is going to be a very solid defender, not only for Barca but for the Spanish national team.

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Come on Ronaldo, you got your sister making statements for you now! You need to come out and say what your going to do already!

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“It is plainly obvious that Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t want to come back to Manchester United, but he isn’t man enough to say so.
It is like somebody who wants a divorce but isn’t brave enough to start proceedings. He has made no attempt to justify his position to the fans, the manager or anybody.
He has made comments about wanting Carlos Queiroz to get the Portugal job, but he is strangely quiet when it comes to clarifying his own situation.
He is just sitting there hoping Real Madrid strike a deal, and is dreading having to go back and face the music.
I think a lot of United fans have been very upset by his behaviour. He took years to win them over with his performances, but will have to start from scratch again if he does return.
Even from a neutral point of view I don’t think it is the right time for him to move. The majority of great players are associated with a particular club and have shown loyalty over their career.
Ronaldo has shown no loyalty whatsoever and I think it will stop him going down as one of the greats. Will he be able to score 40 goals a season in Madrid? I very much doubt it.
Sir Alex Ferguson took a major gamble on Ronaldo, bringing him through at a young age and sticking with him when he didn’t appear to be progressing.
He made him physically and mentally stronger - Sir Alex made Ronaldo like he made Beckham, Scholes and Giggs. No other manager could have done the job Fergie has done, and Ronaldo has let him down badly.
I don’t think there will be much sympathy for Ronaldo in the Old Trafford dressing room. Players usually understand if somebody is looking to move to a bigger club or get a better contract.
But Ronaldo is already one of the highest-paid players at the biggest team in England and the European champions. Why would he leave for a club that were nowhere near in the Champions League?
These kind of things happen and I think the United players will be professional enough to get on with it if he comes back, but they will be disappointed that he wants to walk away.
Although I hold the player ultimately responsible, his agent has not helped. Agents do not always work in the players’ best interests because they get a big payday every time there is a transfer.
You have to hope Ronaldo will see sense, and in any case there should be no rush to sell him as he has four years left on his contract. But you worry that he could upset the harmony in the dressing room if he doesn’t get what he wants.
In my playing days players looked to move clubs, but they kept their mouths shut and things were played out internally, not in the papers.
If you acted up, you went straight in the reserves. But clubs cannot afford to do that these days as it could damage the value of the player. You have to wonder whether there is any point having contracts any more.
I think United will cope without Ronaldo. Sir Alex will look to bring in another forward who can score 20 goals like Dimitar Berbatov, and of course more of the burden will fall on Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney.
You get the feeling that Rooney has coasted a little bit through the last two seasons and allowed Ronaldo to carry him.
He will really have to step up to the plate and prove his quality if Ronaldo goes, because the onus will be squarely on Rooney to inspire the United attack.”

Paul Parker was talking to Alex Chick / Eurosport

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We need Ronaldo healthy, so we can sell him for dollar. Because if he is not, expect Real to ask for some kind of damaged goods discount.

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