Fifa clears Ronaldo’s passage to Inter

ZURICH, July 22: Fifa today cleared the way for ronaldo, the world's most expensive player, to join Inter Milan.The world soccer body decid...

int(4)

ZURICH, July 22: Fifa today cleared the way for ronaldo, the world’s most expensive player, to join Inter Milan.

The world soccer body decided the 20-year-old Brazilian striker was free of any contractual obligations with Barcelona and authorised the Italian football federation to register Ronaldo with immediate effect as an Inter player.

After a meeting of Fifa’s players status committee, Fifa general secretary Sepp Blatter told reporters that Ronaldo had legitimately bought out his employment contract with the Spanish club for 4.0 billion pesetas (US $26.3 million).

Story continues below this ad

He noted, however, that this payment was not related to any additional transfer fee between the two clubs and Fifa asked Barcelona and Inter to agree on such a fee by July 31. “If no agreement is reached by this date, Fifa will impose a fee, which shall be binding,” Blatter said.

Fifa’s players’ committee reached a similar decision on French international defender Bixente Lizarazu’s move from Athletic Bilbao to Bayern Munich.

Lizarazu may be registered immediately and provisionally by the German football association for Bayern Munich having bought out his contract with Spanish club Athletic Bilbao.

Fifa also asked Bayern Munich and Athletic Bilbao to agree on a transfer fee by the end of this month, but, as with the Ronaldo case, if they fail to reach a compromise, Fifa will impose a fee.

Story continues below this ad

At the centre of the disputes about Ronaldo and Lizarazu are the “buy out” or withdrawal clauses found in Spanish league contracts.

While Ronaldo is under contract to Barcelona until 2004, a withdrawal clause in his Spanish contract had allowed him to buy out his deal.

But the Spanish football federation had refused to issue a transfer certificate for Ronaldo on the grounds that such buy out or withdrawal clauses are valid for domestic transfers only.

Blatter, however, said that the Spanish law was not valid for international transfers, paving the way for a deal between the Italian and Spanish clubs.

Story continues below this ad

Leonardo set for Milan: Brazilian midfielder Leonardo was set to join AC Milan for US $4.85 million, his French club Paris St Germain said today.

A Paris spokesman said the Brazilian had agreed to personal terms although the Italian side had yet to table a formal bid for the player whose transfer had been set at 80 million Francs.

Paris were expected to bid for another Brazilian midfielder, Edmilson, currently with Portugese champions, Porto, to replace Leonardo.