Real call off bid to sign Ronaldo from Inter

Real Madrid's bid to sign Brazilian World Cup star Ronaldo from Inter Milan appears to have collapsed after the European champions announced that they have called off talks with the Italian club.

"Real Madrid would like to make it clear that there are irreconcilable differences with Inter Milan in the negotiations over Ronaldo," read a statement on the club's website on Friday.

"In the frank and cordial conversations held this morning the impossibility of reaching a satisfactory agreement became clear and as a result both clubs have agreed to end the negotiations."

Ronaldo, who is still in Brazil where he played 33 unhappy minutes in Wednesday's 1-0 friendly international defeat by Paraguay, said on his website he would return immediately to Milan, where he faces the prospect of a distinctly hostile reception.

His statement earlier this week in which he said he wanted to leave Inter has been greeted with predictable anger by fans who now feel betrayed by their former idol.

It would take a remarkable turnaround for him to regain the confidence not only of the club's fans, but also of his team mates and coach Hector Cuper.

Ronaldo joined Inter from Barcelona before the 1997-98 season but has spent most of the last three seasons on the sidelines following a serious knee injury. His contract runs until 2006.

TRIUMPHANT CAMPAIGN

Ronaldo appeared to be poised to join the European champions after Real president Florentino Perez and his opposite number at Inter Massimo Moratti met on Thursday to discuss the possible transfer of the 25-year-old, top scorer during Brazil's triumphant World Cup campaign.

But significant differences over the value of the twice winner of the World Player of the Year award appear to be at the heart of the breakdown in negotiations.

Reports suggest that Real were prepared to pay $12 million plus two of their players valued at $30 million for the Brazilian striker, whereas Inter were demanding in excess of $60 million.

On Friday Real's sporting director Jorge Valdano made it clear that Real, who have broken the world transfer record twice in the last two years to bring in Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane, would not be making another huge outlay for the Inter striker.

"We made very big strategic investments to bring Figo and Zidane to the club, but the market has now changed and we do not intend to pay a similar amount again," he said.

Ronaldo's appearance in Fortaleza on Wednesday was his first game since he scored both goals in Brazil's 2-0 win over Germany in the World Cup final.

He admitted before the game that he was still getting back into shape after what he described as "deserved holidays."

Ronaldo said on his website that he spent Friday afternoon training with his physiotherapist Nilton Petroni and would fly to Milan the same evening.

Ronaldo spent a week in Brazil, during which Brazilian media said he did a photo session in Sao Paulo for one of his sponsors and took a helicopter trip to a small island he bought off the so-called Green Coast west of Rio de Janeiro.

On Monday, he travelled to Fortaleza for the Paraguay game but arrived late after missing his flight in Rio de Janeiro, for which he blamed the traffic.