Man Utd holding the cards, not Ron, say mhl

Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo has made no secret of his desire to join international arch rivals Real Madrid, and Sir Alex Ferguson's pledge that he would rather see him 'rot on the bench' than join the rivals has prompted mhl support, who offer employment law advice to a number of football teams, to remind fans that the obvious solution may not be an option.

Marc Schroder, CEO of the company, part of the Bibby Line Group, said: "People are saying that Ronaldo should just walk, and that there is nothing Manchester United can do about it."

"Nonsense! I don’t know where people would get that impression from. Ronaldo is the club's star player and has four years left on his contract. If someone walked out on a job in any other field; they would expect repercussions."

"True, Ronaldo doesn’t have the financial concerns that the rest of us might have if we threw in the towel, but if there was ever an organisation that had the funds and the principles to take legal action for breach of contract; it is Manchester United."

"Some people are focusing on FIFA's articles for the status and transfer of players, which stipulate that 'An established professional who has, in the course of a season, appeared in less than 10 per cent of the official matches in which his club has been involved may terminate his contract prematurely on the grounds of sporting just cause', claiming that Ronaldo can do just that if he is left to 'rot on the bench'."

"The club is going to be fully aware of those rules and having made its stance so clear, is unlikely to shoot itself in the foot. I dare say that there are plenty of behind-the-scenes developments and discussions that we are not privy to, but for those who say that Ronaldo is the party holding the cards here, I would urge them to reconsider; Manchester United is a force to be reckoned with" he added.