Sullen Ronaldo could leave Real and return to Italy

RONALDO could have played his last Champions League game in the Santiago Bernabeu, and perhaps even for Real Madrid, if the stories in the Spanish newspapers prove to be true.

The three-time World Player of the Year opened his heart to the media on Monday, ahead of Real’s Champions League game against visitors Arsenal, saying how unhappy he was at his treatment by the Spanish giant’s fans.

The Brazilian added to the illusion when the two sides met on Tuesday by looking disinterested as the Premiership side became the first English team to win in the Bernabeu, their 1-0 victory coming thanks to a Thierry Henry goal.

“The board of directors has initiated the transfer of Ronaldo,” ran the headline in Spanish sports daily As.

“They had a meeting yesterday before the game and talked about opening his way (to move) to Inter,” revealed As, although the club would not confirm the story.

“Ronaldo hasn’t found any support in the dressing room for his outburst,” added the newspaper, reinforcing the theme of its story.

Rival newspaper Marca also had Ronaldo going to Italy’s second city in the summer, but instead of him returning to his former club Spain’s best selling paper had him set to sign for local rivals AC Milan.

“The outburst of Ronaldo has been a bombshell in Italy,” commented Marca.

Marca quoted AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani as saying: “He’s a great champion, and a player who is held in high esteem in Italy. At the end of the season, if he wants to change his jersey, I am sure many clubs around the world will be interested, including Milan.”

Real’s defeat by Arsenal leaves the nine-time champions of Europe with a mountain to climb in their second leg at Highbury in two weeks time if they are to qualify for the quarter-finals.

Ronaldo’s comments before the game and sorry display during it - which garnered zero points by both Marca and As in their player-by-player assessments - has lead to serious doubts about whether he will start the second leg.

Club captain Raul Gonalez’s return to fitness, and the availability of winter signing Antonio Cassano, means that Real coach Juan Ramon Lopez Caro now has alternatives as the main target man to the sullen superstar.

The only Real player to come out of Tuesday’s match with any credit was the Spanish international goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who, by common consent, kept the hosts from further embarrassment.

“Casillas saved Madrid from disaster,” ran the headline on the front page of Marca.

“The truth is, the scoreline could have been much worse,” admitted Casillas.