What the papers say - June 9

Also: Kevin Pietersen is a step closer to collecting the £2million contract on offer to play in the 2009 Indian Premier League. Pietersen will benefit from the new spirit of co-operation between ECB chairman Giles Clarke and the IPL, which was confirmed by the creation of a £2.5million Twenty20 Champions League yesterday.

Big hitter: Pietersen could collect £2m if he plays in next year's IPL

DAILY STAR: Real Madrid will smash the world transfer record with a £75million
swoop for Cristiano Ronaldo. But the Spanish giants will not move for the
Manchester United superstar until his country Portugal are out of Euro 2008.
Chelsea have made Portugal coach Luis Felipe Scolari their number one managerial
target following AC Milan chief Carlo Ancelotti's second Stamford Bridge snub.

Marching orders: Ronaldo could net a staggering new deal

NEWS OF THE WORLD: Sir Alex Ferguson fears he has lost the battle to keep
Cristiano Ronaldo after a sensational snub by the Portuguese star. Ronaldo refused to take a single phone call from the Manchester United boss since announcing he wants to quit Old Trafford for Real Madrid.

Also: Switzerland have mountains to climb if they are to avoid an early exit from Euro 2008...Jose Mourinho has been thwarted in a third bid for Steven Gerrard. Inter Milan made the Liverpool skipper a £30million top target ahead of Mourinho being confirmed as boss.

THE PEOPLE: Manchester United are set to cave in to fend off Manchester United
- and offer Cristiano Ronaldo a staggering £7.2million pay deal that will see him become the Premier League's top earner on £150,000.

Also: Ronaldinho is on the verge of becoming the Premier League's first £200,000-a-week footballer
after Barcelona allowed Manchester City to speak to the Brazil superstar...Alan
Shearer is on the brink of a sensational return to Blackburn Rovers as manager.

SUNDAY EXPRESS:  Chelsea have offered AC Milan a world record 'transfer fee' of
£20million in a last ditch bid to bring their manager Carlo Ancelotti to Stamford Bridge.

Also: Cricket authorities in four continents have unveiled plans for a Twenty20 Champions League...Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has been advised by his key aides to drop Kevin Keegan and appoint Dick Advocaat as his new manager.

SUNDAY MIRROR:  Manchester United will suspend Cristiano Ronaldo without pay - if he carries out his threat to go on strike.

Also: Ronaldinho is expected to sign for Manchester City in the next 48 hours in a deal that will make him the world's highest-paid player.

INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: Cristiano Ronaldo, having spent the last few days
teasing both Manchester United and Real Madrid as to his intentions, produced an
equally tantalising performance last night, this time with those mesmerising
feet of his as Portugal brought the tournament to life with a 2-0 win over Turkey.

SUNDAY TIMES: Manchester City are closing in on the most unlikely transfer of
the decade after being given permission by Barcelona to hold talks with
Ronaldinho.

Also: County cricket's Twenty20 Cup kicks off on Wednesday with a
huge financial incentive after it was announced yesterday that the inaugural
Champions League tournament will be held later this year.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Cristiano Ronaldo's protracted flirtation with Real Madrid
last night took second billing to the star attraction himself as the Manchester
United forward inspired Portugal to an impressive 2-0 win over Turkey in their
Euro 2008 opener in Geneva. Manchester City supporters, already enraged by the
sacking of Sven-Goran Eriksson, have been dealt a fresh blow with the revelation
that new executive chairman, Garry Cook, is already resigned to losing Mark
Hughes as manager if Manchester United came calling.

THE OBSERVER:  Doha's controversial failure to make the shortlist for the 2016
Olympics has brought a bid from Qatar for the 2018 football World Cup much
closer.Steve Clarke has been asked to stay on at Chelsea as the club prepare for
the appointment of a new manager.

 dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.