Ronaldo Dispute Seems to Worsen

The weekend meeting between Florentino Perez, president of European champion Real Madrid, and Massimo Moratti, president of Inter Milan, failed to produce a solution to the Ronaldo dilemma.

The Brazilian World Cup winner and two-time FIFA world player of the year is unhappy with the Italian club and wants to return to Spain, where he played for Barcelona before joining Inter Milan in 1997.

But Ronaldo, 25, is under contract to Inter for the next four years--at $6 million a year--and Real Madrid’s offer of $48 million plus a player or two has not been enough to tempt Inter into parting with the striker.

“Ronaldo is more than 80% certain to stay with Inter,” Moratti told the Italian news agency Ansa on Sunday. “ In fact, I would say 100% certain.”

Moratti made it clear, however, that he is as dissatisfied with Ronaldo as Ronaldo is dissatisfied with life in Italy.

“Ronaldo would do well to appreciate what he has going for him here,” said Moratti, who has put a $100-million price tag on the Brazilian.

The Italian trade deadline is not until Aug. 31, so Moratti simply might be waiting for Real Madrid to improve its offer. His unfavorable comparison between Ronaldo and Inter’s other striker, Christian Vieri, further underlines the deteriorating situation between the Brazilian and the club.

“I now appreciate Vieri, with whom I haven’t always had a good relationship, for his attachment to the club and the example that he has shown to his colleagues,” Moratti said.

Italian TV Delay

The start of the Italian season, scheduled for Aug. 31, might be delayed because of a dispute over television rights, the Italian Football League said Sunday.

Almost half the Serie A clubs have been unable to reach agreement with satellite television channels over the rights to live coverage of their games. A league spokesman said a decision will be made Tuesday whether to postpone the start of the season.

French Offended

Manchester United, needing defensive help after center back Wes Brown broke his ankle in the team’s 1-0 Champions League qualifying loss to Zalaegerszeg of Hungary last week, has succeeded in insulting the French team from which it is trying to acquire that help.

The English club last month paid a world-record $47 million for Rio Ferdinand, but has offered Stade Rennes only $3 million for Julien Escude, the club’s France under-21 national team defender.

“The offer that Manchester United has made is almost offensive in view of what they were capable of paying for Ferdinand,” Emmanuel Cueff, Stade Rennes’ president, told L’Equipe Sunday.

Uruguayan Keeper

Uruguay national team goalkeeper Fabian Carini has failed to agree to a move from Juventus of Italy to defending English Premier League champion Arsenal, and British newspapers speculated Sunday that Carini might be heading to Manchester United instead.

“The Carini deal is over,” Arsenal Coach Arsene Wenger said. “He has chosen another club. Maybe you will see him somewhere else in the Premier League.”

Arsenal has been seeking a backup to England goalkeeper David Seaman ever since Richard Wright, tired of being No. 2, left to join Everton. Manchester United also needs an experienced backup to France goalkeeper Fabien Barthez, who is injured.

Hooligan President

The strain of watching newly promoted Rilski Sportist Samokov lose a home game in the Bulgarian first division proved too much for the club’s president, Yuri Galev, who was arrested for alleged hooliganism.

An interior ministry spokesman said Sunday that Galev had been “detained for 24 hours as he has been accused of hooliganism” after verbally threatening match officials.

Deportivo Wins

Goals by Juan Carlos Valeron, Victor and Nourredine Naybet, all in the first 32 minutes, earned Spanish Cup winner Deportivo La Coruna a 3-0 home victory over Spanish league champion Valencia in the first match of the two-game Spanish Super Cup.

The second match is in Valencia next Sunday. The Super Cup is the traditional curtain-raiser to the Spanish season, which begins Aug. 31.

Swiss Fans Riot

Police had to use tear gas and rubber bullets to restore order after a clash broke out between the fans of rival Swiss teams Basel and Lucerne.

According to reports, 15 officers were injured in the violence, which started when hometown Basel fans hurled stones at a bus carrying Lucerne fans to a Saturday game. Shop windows and a tram stop received “significant” damage and a kiosk was set ablaze before order was restored.