Robinho fulfils Madrid 'dream'

[Regs]

Hopefully Sportsnet continues the La Liga coverage on Sunday nights again!

Robinho fulfils Madrid 'dream'
Thursday, 21 July 2005Real Madrid CF have reached an agreement with Santos FC to sign Brazilian forward Robinho for €24m, the club announced on Thursday.

Fee compromise
The deal has been mooted ever since the player helped Brazil to the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup, with Robinho refusing to train or play for Santos after they rejected an initial Madrid bid - saying they wanted his full buy-out clause worth more than €41m. However, a compromise has been reached, with the player waiving his 40 per cent share of that sell-on amount. He underwent a medical in Brazil on Thursday.

Deal confirmed
Madrid's director of communications Antonio García Ferreras said: "We will pay €24m, that is 60 per cent of the buy-out clause. The other 40 per cent should be paid to the player and his agent but they will forego their share." The fee has been deposited with the Confederation of Brazilian football.

Dream fulfilled
Wagner Ribeiro, the 21-year-old's agent, added: "Robinho is just waiting for a transfer certificate to travel. He waived the 40 per cent to which he was entitled to be able to fulfil his dream of playing for Real Madrid."

'Ideal country'
Robinho himself had said: "Spain is an ideal country for Brazilian players and I know Real coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo very well. My mind is at Real Madrid." His new club's UEFA Champions League bid begins in the third qualifying round, with the draw made on Friday week.

[djones]

I'm not so sure!

Brazil say they will turn down Robinho transfer
By Pedro Fonseca

RIO DE JANEIRO, July 22 (Reuters) - Robinho's move from Santos to Real Madrid was in danger of falling through on Friday when the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said they would not authorise the transfer under current conditions.

The nine-times European champions said on Thursday that they had paid 60 percent, or $30 million, of the $50 million buy-out clause stipulated in Robinho's contract to buy Santos's share of his rights.

Robinho, who says he is no longer in the right frame of mind to stay in Brazil, has waived the remaining 40 percent to which he is entitled.

But the CBF's legal director Carlos Eugenio Lopes said that a unilateral breach of contract would require Real Madrid to pay Santos the full $50 million for the 21-year-old Brazil international, one of the world's most exciting young players.

Lopes said Robinho would not be granted the International Transfer Certificate he needs to complete the move.

"We're going to deny the certificate because the transfer does not meet the requirements of the law," Lopes told Reuters.

"We can't release him either under Brazilian law or under FIFA rules," said Lopes. "(Brazilian law) requires the payment of the entire amount for there to be a unilateral end to the contract and that is not what Real are proposing."

Lopes said Santos had told the CBF that they did not agree with the transfer.

MUTUAL AGREEMENT

"Santos will only release him for $50 million. Robinho would only have the right to his 40 percent in a deal which is done by mutual agreement between both parties. He's not entitled to anything if he breaks off the contract."

Robinho's contract runs until 2008 and Santos president Marcelo Teixeira has been fiercely trying to hold on to the 21-year-old.

Teixeira has accused Real of approaching Robinho without his club's permission and of trying to use their financial clout to take the player.

Santos's legal director Mario Mello also denied the transfer deal was close to completion.

"We can't accept that they interprete the contract in one way and deposit the amount that they feel is right," he told the sports daily Lance.

Earlier on Thursday, Real vice-president Emilio Butragueno said the deal was yet to be finalised.

"The door has been opened to the signing of Robinho but it still hasn't been finalised, although it is very close," he told Real's official website.

"We've presented a document to the Brazilian federation that guarantees the payment of 60 percent of the player's rights. We still have to wait but there is no doubt that it is a very important decision.

"We have to remain prudent but we hope that everything will become clear in the next 24 to 48 hours.