Ronaldo plots Queiroz exit as Portugal claim to have their man

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Cristiano Ronaldo has again risked the wrath of Sir Alex Ferguson by lobbying Portugal’s top administrator to appoint Carlos Queiroz as national coach.

The Portuguese Football Federation were adamant on Thursday night that Queiroz has accepted a four-year deal and will leave Manchester United in the coming days to succeed Chelsea-bound Luiz Felipe Scolari. The club declined to comment.

Whose side are you on? Ronaldo has risked Ferguson's ire by lobbying for Queiroz (right) to join Portugal

Ferguson will be dismayed at losing his long-serving deputy, after tipping him to take over at Old Trafford eventually, and just as unhappy at the way the move has been engineered.

As Ronaldo prepared for surgery on his right ankle, expected to take place in Portugal on Friday and likely to rule him out for the start of the season, it emerged that the United midfielder had played a key role in applying pressure on federation president Gilberto Madail to hand the vacancy to Queiroz.

When Scolari’s departure was confirmed on Chelsea’s website, and Portugal subsequently bowed out of Euro 2008 against Germany, Ronaldo and his team-mates met to discuss potential replacements and came down overwhelmingly in favour of Queiroz.

A petition was drawn up and signed by several players, including Ronaldo, imploring Madail to install Queiroz as their new boss. It was presented to the federation chief last week, and within 48 hours a contract had been drawn up for the former Real Madrid manager to take charge.

Sources in Lisbon expect him to accept the offer as they believe he is ready to test himself in the international arena.

Ronaldo is already at loggerheads with Ferguson over his attempts to secure a move to Real Madrid and his involvement in Queiroz’s likely departure can only further strain relationships.

Ferguson suffered a new blow when Angola striker Manucho, who is due to start his United career after being loaned to Panathinaikos, reported for pre-season training with a suspected fractured metatarsal.