To look young again – how do you turn back the hands of time? Do you dress up in youthful fashion? Do you surround yourself with more young people? Do you engage in adventurous thrills? While all those things might be fun, for a while, they tend to be misplaced or run you ragged. And then you’ll only feel older, which may make you look older.

Here’s a more sound solution, one that actually delivers fabulous, visible results: Use a face cream. But not just any cream, mind you. You would want to get a cream that is formulated to address the very signs of aging: fine lines, wrinkles, blemishes, and dark spots.

Anti-aging face creams can work wonders. They can help you regain a youthful appearance. They can help you improve the look of your skin, giving you that beautiful, healthy glow. They can brighten your skin and decrease blemishes and dark spots. They can, basically, defy the signs of aging, making you look several years younger.

Of course, not all face creams are the same. What you want to look for in your face cream is the inclusion of this amazing ingredient: hyaluronic acid (HA). HA is a gel-like water-holding molecule that serves as a space filler and cushioning agent. It fills your eyes and hydrates your hair and your skin. It also cushions your joints and nerves.

HA is so well regarded as an anti-aging agent that it is promoted as a “fountain of youth.” Reports also indicate that HA works as a free radical scavenger and antioxidant; free radicals are molecules that damage your cells and antioxidants minimize those damages.

Since HA is able to hold 1,000 times its weight in water, it is the perfect addition to moisturizers. In face creams, HA can smoothen and soften your skin while decreasing wrinkles. You might say it is what makes an anti-aging cream amazing.

While you could get HA injections – the water-holding molecule is used in dermafillers and other anti-aging cosmetic procedures – to fight the signs of aging, it will be expensive. Firstly, you might have to go in for several sessions to retain the results. And secondly, cosmetic procedures will be more expensive than a container of the most expensive face cream.

So how are you turning back the hands of time? Easy. Go online. Find an anti-aging cream that includes HA in its ingredients. Apply. And watch this affordable, amazing cream defy the signs of aging.

The aviation business is growing and ever-evolving. It is the fastest and the most convenient mode of transport. The disadvantage that persists is the pricing policy of different airlines. It is the costliest mode of transport, but is used by a number of people around the world. As a result, people tend to look for low cost pace. The low pace enable frequent fliers to be able to continue their business in different parts of the world, without being affected by the inflation.

Roundtrip fares are generally lower than the regular fares. Even within the roundtrip fares, there are many discounted fares. In the US, starting from $ 599, from Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Francisco to Prague, Paris, Nice, Madrid and Barcelona. For less than $ 699, flights are available from the US to Milan, Turin, Venice, Naples and Rome. Trips to London could cost less than $ 389 from the US, one way.

The attractive discounts on roundtrip tariffs make the fares cheaper. The Internet flaunts many schemes that help people to save money. There are various offers posted on the web and a little research goes a long way. Auctions are also held in order to make the prices plunge further. It helps to book well in advance. Fare sales are another method of saving money on pace.

Packages are offered to travelers by various travel agents and companies. Packages are schemes designed by the agents to make very costly offers affordable. There are various other schemes available too. Tourists should compare the schemes to get the best possible offer.

Robots are intelligent and there are search engines that help to locate good deals. It is advisable for tourists to conduct a little research and avail of the lowest prices offered by the different airlines and travel agents.

We see celeb breakdowns everyday — in the tabloids, tv, the internet and, sometimes, if we’re lucky (or unlucky) enough, in person. Aside from rehab, (if you catch them!) the celebs like a little getaway from all the drama. They vanish for a week, before the next wardrobe malfunction, cat fight or custody battle. When they’re tired of being famous / infamous, where do the stars sneak off to?

* Caribbean Islands (This includes the Bahamas, Barbados and the West Indies) – No self-respecting star would skip out on this one. A choice of any of the islands, each one offering opulent and frivolous amenities that only a select few will be able to enjoy? Stars such as Alicia Keys and Denise Richards have been reported to have been spotted Sandy Lane Beach. — And who could forget the reported rental of the Villa by none other than Ms. Hilton right after she got out of jail?

* France – Who can evade the allure of the land where they have crepes instead of pancakes? Cote d’Azur has been a magnet for stars looking to have a relaxing break from controversy. From the beaches of Cannes, and the quirky ebullience of life in St. Tropez, (which is 3 hours away from another celebrity getaway venue, Italy, more on this later) the stars love taking a little break in this little slice of the Mediterranean. Hotel Byblos, situated smack-dab in the middle of St. Tropez attracts the most number of France-trotting celebs. Cannes may be well-known for its film festival, but year-round celebs flock to this area of the globe just to get away.

* Spain – Salamanca, the golden town, is well-known for its old-world charm. With the bustling nightlife that includes all the pulchritudinous people (yes, even on weekdays, from what I hear) — would the stars want to be missing out in all that? The Westin Palace [http://www.luxurylink.com/portfolio/por_property_detail.php?productId=896] is a celeb-favorite in Madrid, and in Barcelona, Hotel Claris is the preferred celeb hang-out.

* Hawaii – To top off the list, the land of pineapples and spam musubi and the birthplace of surfer culture. When a lei is hung around a celeb’s neck two steps outside the plane, they know that it is ON. A tropical escape at its best, the lush vegetation and surf-friendly beaches provide the perfect cover for a star on a getaway. Stars like Britney stay in either The Four Seasons in Maui, or in the Ritz-Carlton for that luxurious little stay.

There you have it, the “celeb breakdown getaway” list. These are the top spots for running away from that latest controversy. (Well now that this list has been posted, I’m guessing the stars better find new locations to getaway in. And if it’s not in this list, then most probably some celeb has found an outerspace, underwater, or underground resort.) For all the celebs though, just remember, wherever you go, most everyone has cameras these days, and, paparazzi or not, they’ll be waiting for you to commit that one eetsy-teeny-tiny little mistake — and they will take pictures!

It is well known that most tourists prefer to visit Portugal and Spain as they usually have beautiful medieval palaces, cathedrals, gardens, monuments, beaches and other exotic places to visit.

To get a good feeling for Spain and Portugal, it is good to drive around; you can easily hire a car for this. You can begin your tour in Madrid; Spain where the famous Prado Art Museum is located. You definitely will enjoy seeing the large Royal Palace and the Botanical Gardens. As you drive around the streets you will see many attractive fountains.

From Madrid you can head towards Portugal in your hired car. Along the way you will see a lots of olive trees which is also the case when you drive in within Portugal. In Trujillo, Spain you can go for a sightseeing visit. On a hill are the remnants of an old castle that was built by the Moors on an older Roman site.

Driving further west is Caceres. This walled city was once a colony of the Romans; it was later taken over by the Moors, and was finally owned by the Christians. Medieval parts of the city still stand and the visit here can possibly be one of the highlights of your tour. Caceres is characterized by narrow streets that are a defining part of medieval cities. Along the streets you will see people dressed in period costumes. When the Sun goes down you can spend the night in a parador (hotel) this is a building that has been converted from a 16th century palace and can be very romantic.

As you are heading south of Caceres to Merida in your hired car, you will see a Roman aqueduct. Further west, that is to Cascais, Portugal. Cascais is located to the west of Lisbon on the coast. It is a charming place with quality restaurants, interesting shops full of local products and quality centers. You definitely will enjoy the food and wine, the local restaurants have a nice ambience. Nearby is the beautiful Boca de Inferno, where surging action from the breaking waves has cut a hole in the beautiful cliffs.

On the northern side of Cascais is Sintra. It has a very attractive village which has fabulous ruins and palaces that make it distinct. The castle that stands there was built about 700 AD by the Moors. As you ascend high on the hill above the Moorish castle you will have a bird’s eye view of the magnificent Pena Castle. The castle was originally occupied by Queen Amelia in the early 1900s. Taking a tour of the castle, you will notice that it has been maintained well just like it was during the days when the Queen lived there.

Guincho is a tourist attraction centre. It is located a little west of Cascais. There is the combination of the rugged coastline and the breaking waves, this creates a beautiful view.

From the airport in either Spain or Portugal you can get hire a car. There are many ample parking spots in both Portugal and Spain. Tour guides understand English thus they will assist you if needed.

This article talks about the general rules of Spanish pronunciation as it is spoken in Spain and, in particular, along the southern coast in areas such as famous Marbella in Andalusia. There is also a phonetic guide.

Note that Spain has four official national languages: Castilian Spanish, Catalan, Galician and Basque.

Castilian Spanish is the most widely spoken language in Spain but there are different dialects of Castilian Spanish and several different forms of pronunciation.

Pronunciation of Spanish in the South of Spain is quite different to other areas of the country, for example, the letter C before E or I is not lisped (ie, making a "th" sound) as it is in the rest of the country . The pronunciation in the South is more similar to that in Latin America than, for instance, in Madrid.

Here are the twelve steps to learn how to pronounce Spanish correctly:

1. The letters B and V are pronounced exactly the same way, ie both sound like a B. This is more noticeable when the B or V starts the word. It is a slightly softer sound when the B or V appears in the middle of the word (phonetic = be, the 'e' as in the English word 'let').

2. C is pronounced K (as in 'cat') when followed by the vowels A, O or U. For example, LA CASA (house). When the C is followed by the vowels E or I, the C changes to a TH sound as in CINCO (five) and CERO (zero). However, in Latin America and southern Spain the C is pronounced as an ordinary S (phonetic = kah or th).

3. D is pronounced as D but is often not pronounced at all at the end of a word, as in LIBERTAD (freedom, liberty) and MADRID (phonetic = de, the 'e' as in the English word 'let').

4. G is pronounced as a guttural G (as in the Scottish word 'loch') when followed by E or I, as in GITANO (gypsy). When followed by A, O, U, UE or UI it is pronounced as a hard G, as in GATO (cat). Note that the U is generally not pronounced in the combinations GUE and GUI (phonetic = guttural ch or hard g as in the English word 'gate').

5. H is mute in Spanish except in the combination CH, for example LECHE (milk) and CHICO (boy) (phonetic = che, as in the English word 'champion').

6. J is always pronounced as a guttural G as in JEFE (boss) (phonetic = see G, point 4.)

7. The pronunciation of LL varies throughout the Spanish-speaking world but it is still most similar to the way we use Y as in YES (phonetic = y).

8. The ñ is like the "ni" sound in 'onion', for example, mañana (tomorrow or, morning) (phonetic = ni-y-ah).

9. Q is always followed by UE or UI. It is pronounced as a K (as in 'cat') and the U is silent, for example QUESO (cheese) (phonetic = kah).

10. R is pronounced as an R, as in BARCO (boat), but it is pronounced RR (double / rolling R, more emphatic) when the R is the first letter of a word, for example RAMA (branch) and ROMPER ( to break). The double consonant RR is always pronounced as RR, as in PERRO (dog) (phonetic = emphasised r).

11. S is pronounced S but according to dialect it can sound more like a Z when it appears in the middle of a word. For instance, MISMO (same) sounds more like MIZMO and LOS DOS (the two of them) can sound more like LOZ DOS (phonetic = s as in 'same').

12. Z is pronounced as TH, as in ZAPATO (shoe) but again, in Latin America and southern Spain it sounds like an S (phonetic = th).

It is time of the year where the FIFA world player of the year is decided by the votes of coaches and captains of national team worldwide.

But before we go into the discussion of the list of players drawn for 2007, an introduction of the mechanism of the system would be discussed first. The award was started in 1991 for the male player and in 2001 for the female player categories respectively. Basically, the coaches and national team captains would vote for players drawn by the technical committees of FIFA. The system used is called the Borda count where each coach and captain would get three votes (one of five points, one of three points and one of one point) to cast for the players of his choice. And the winner would be determined by the total of points received. The winner last year is Italian defender Fabio Cannavaro of Real Madrid.

Now to the list of players short listed for the award this year. Heading the list are five players of Italian descent, they are Cannavaro, Gianluigi Buffon, Gennaro Gattuso, Alessandro Nesta and Andrea Pirlo. Except for Cannavaro and Buffon (Juventus), the remaining three players of the UEFA 2006-2007 champions league winners AC Milan. However the chances of an Italian repeating the feat of winning is slim this year as the national team did not perform to its best after World Cup 2006 and as for domestically, the Serie A is recovering from the scars of the scandal hit season.

Next up would be the discussion of the English contenders for the title. They are Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), John Terry (Chelsea) and Wayne Rooney (Manchester United). Looking at chances of the English contenders, none of them have high chances of clinching the title as the English national team has a difficult Euro 2008 qualifying campaign so far and they did not any outstanding club exploits last season. The other reasons are although Manchester United and Chelsea went head to head in the Premiership race, they failed to impress at the UEFA Champions league level. As for Gerrard, if Liverpool did won the last season UEFA Champions league final against AC Milan, then his chances would be different. However they did not and Liverpool had another of its forgettable seasons in the league again.

As for the French, they have Thierry Henry (Barcelona), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich), Lillan Thuram (Barcelona) and Patrick Vieira (Inter Milan) short listed. At the moment, the chances of the French are as slim as the English for similar reasons. Henry has been a world class player, but he could not inspire Arsenal to the Premiership title and for this season, he is still adapting to his new club, Barcelona. Ribery also did not have the best of seasons last year and has changed clubs in the summer, leaving for Bungesliga Giants, Munich from the sleeping giants of French Football, Marseille. In Vieria’s case, Inter Milan did retain their Serie A title last season, but as mentioned above, the title seen to be given to Inter midst point deduction for several Serie A clubs and demotion of Juventus. Hence he would not have a high chance in this year’s competition for the best player’s title. For Thuram, it is even more gloomer as he did not feature in a lot of his club’s games last season and Barcelona failed to defend its La Liga title.

Brazil has three players short listed in Kaka (AC Milan), Juninho (Lyon) and Ronaldinho (Barcelona). Although the Brazilians have a forgettable world cup 2006, however one of three can be considered as a highly possible contender for the title. He is Kaka. The reason is that he has also won the FIFPro 2007 Player of the year award and it was he that inspired AC Milan to winning the UEFA Champions League midst a disappointing Serie A 2006-2007 campaign. As for Ronaldinho, a previous two time winner (2004 and 2005), his chances this year are quite slim as he was not in the best form last season with the Catalans Giants as they lost out to Real Madrid in the La Liga title. In the case of Juninho, other than inspiring Lyon to six consecutive French Ligue 1 titles, he had no major efforts of note last season.

As for Brazil’s South American rival, Argentina too has three players short listed in Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Juan Roman Riquelme (River) and Carlos Tevez (Manchester United). Of the three, Messi’s chances are the highest as he has continued where he left off last season with eight goals in as many games this season. Tevez had a difficult season in which his transfer reeks of a drama serial while Riquelme with his talent to a lot of people has choked on the big stages once too often.

Another highly possible contender for the title is Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United. With his 23 goals, English Premiership Player of the year award and PFA player’s player of the year award last season, he can be seen as a major reason why Manchester United managed to regain the English Premiership title. Furthermore, in midst of enduring an anti-Ronaldo season after his antics at World Cup 2006, it is a wonder that he could conjure up such a wonderful season. Another Portuguese short listed is Deco of Barcelona who for all his talents was a bit player for Catalans last season and hence his chances are not very high then.

The remaining players of the short list are Fernando Torres (Spain, Liverpool), Ruud Van Nistelrroy (Holland, Real Madrid), Petr Cech (Czech Republic, Chelsea), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast, Chelsea), Michael Essien (Ghana, Chelsea), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon, Barcelona) and Rafael Marquez (Mexico, Barcelona). Of seven remaining players, Ruud Van Nistelrroy may have the best chance as he was the top scorer for Real Madrid in their title winning squad last season and has continued his fine form this season. As for players of Chelsea and Barcelona, their failure in defending the title and poor UEFA Champions League showing would count against them. Lastly, Torres, the sole Spanish in the list, like Henry has traded clubs where he left his boyhood club, Atletico Madrid for English side Liverpool in the summer. His chances are very slim as during his time as Atletico Madrid, the team failed to establish it as La Liga contenders and as for his new club, he is still adapting there.

Lastly to summarize my views on FIFA 2007 Player of the year, my choice of player to win is the Kaka of AC Milan with Lionel Messi (Barcelona) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) to give him a run for the title. The results would be out this December 2007 at the FIFA World Player Gala in Zurich.

On the morning in August of 1604, a little-known writer named Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra walked through the streets of Valladolid, Spain, toting a heavy manuscript to publisher-bookseller Francisco de Robles. Cervantes carried a hopeful attitude that this odd book would become a success, but Robles held little hope the manuscript would sell five copies. A month later, Cervantes sold the rights to publish “El Ingenioso Don Quixote de la Mancha”. The printing was finished in December, and the book came out in January 1605. Cervantes’ hard work made its way from manuscript to the published book that readers and scholars alike agree, even to this day, that Don Quixote became the greatest literary masterpiece in Spain and the world.

If Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra had never written this magnum opus, about a Spanish gentleman who read so many books of chivalry that he decided to become a knight in a world where they no longer existed, literature from 400 years ago to the present might have been completely different. His self-proclaimed mission called himself to right the world of wrongs in an out of date chivalrous manner. He called himself “Don Quixote de la Mancha” and Cervantes wrote hundreds of pages over a period of years to complete Part One of Don Quixote. Before he could get the novel published, his scribbled-worn copy had to be read and corrected by an editor who took the time to compile and rewrite the work as a “clean copy” adding spacing and punctuation so that it could be easily read by the printers. However, before going to print and publication, all books printed in Spain had to be given the “blessing of the state” by a royal “censor” who scrupulously read the work before being granted “license and privilege” for publication. Of course, Cervantes’ manuscript passed the government’s strict approval. Robles sent Cervantes’ text to Juan de la Cuesta – a book printer in Madrid.

The first copy was printed in Madrid, Spain which would soon become the primary source for conversation and laughter among many Spaniards. Sales of the book shot up immediately and by the end of 1605 one thousand eight hundred copies were printed and had flown off bookstore shelves. From Europe to the Spanish-American colonies, copies were sent by boats for hungry readers. Translators in England, France, Germany, Italy and Portugal were rushing furiously to put the book out in their native languages.

Cervantes probably thought about his future book while jailed in 1597 for stealing money from a bank that had crashed. Cervantes drew upon the adventures of his interesting and exciting life as a soldier, prisoner, escape artist and tax collector to create a whole gamut of characters and situations. His book would be new and original in every facet of telling stories. Later it would be called the first “bestseller.” Cervantes’ literary masterpiece became the first fictional novel that set the standard for writing future bestselling novels.

The general plot of Don Quixote is clearly funny. A fifty-year-old man named “Alonso Quixano” sells his land to buy novels about outdated chivalric knights. He reads night and day until he goes mad and leaves home to become a knight, naming himself “Don Quixote de la Mancha.” Quixote perceives reality as a knight from the antiquated stories he reads and believes he is truly a famous knight of old in a society where no knights existed but prevailed in 16th-Century Spanish literature. Quixote sees everything in terms of those boring books which abounded in bookstores. The plot in Don Quixote includes a knight-errant where whores become princesses, men become other knights, magicians, or chain gang prisoners, large windmills become dragons, and inns turn into enchanted castles.

Together with his “squire” – Sancho Panza (“Potbelly”), his old nag – “Rocinante” and his ladylove “Dulcinea del Toboso” for whom he goes on chivalric quests, his misfit adventures caused all readers to at least chuckle, but in Spain, there exists a saying: “If you come across a solitary person laughing they are either mad, or reading Don Quixote.” (“Don Quixote: The Unlikely Conquistador”, The Independent, Jan. 29, 2005).

The Ingenious Gentleman Sir Quixote of La Mancha was an immediate and roaring success. Demand for copies was so high that within a few months its author, Miguel de Cervantes, was having the book distributed throughout Iberia while Robles and Cuesta began work on a second edition. Two pirated versions appeared in London, along with two others in Valencia and Zaragoza; hundreds of copies were loaded on to the galleons embarking for the New World. By June Don Quixote and Sancho Panza had become iconic figures, their effigies carried in parades and others popping up in celebrations for the rich and poor. (“Don Quixote: Now and Then”, Financial Times, 2018).

It’s interesting to note that although Cervantes’ name ultimately became known throughout the world, he never made any money from the monumental sales of Don Quixote. As a matter of fact, Cervantes’ life had mostly been marked by poverty and tough fortune. Nevertheless, he did not lead a boring life whose events Cervantes borrowed to make Don Quixote an exciting read.

Francisco Jose de Goya y Lucientes of Spain was a very famous painter and printmaker of the eighteenth century. His immense popularity is attributed to his European style of painting, fetching the appreciation of the European kings and queens. Goya’s “The Parasol” or “the Quitasol,” painted in 1777, is by far his most successful painting. Most of his paintings were centered on women, including this one. Goya created “The Parasol” when the Prince and the Princess of Asturias called him to Madrid to paint cartoons for their dining room tapestry in the Royal Palace of El Pardo in Madrid. A copy of “The Parasol” was woven into wool for hanging in the palace.

This oil on linen painting, measuring 104 cm x 152 cm, is known for its brilliant color scheme and brightness. “The Parasol” or “The Quitasol” depicts a pretty, young woman sitting on a hillock with a folded fan in her right hand. Dressed in the then French style, she is wearing a bright yellow skirt with a blue blouse lined with fur, and a dark brown shawl. A red scarf adorns her head. On her lap, rests a little black and white puppy. Next to her, stands a young man dressed in Majo or Maja style. He is wearing a brown coat with a light red waistcoat. He holds a bright green ‘parasol’ (umbrella) right above the woman’s countenance. The left arm of the man is folded to rest on his waist. The folded fan, the ‘parasol,’ and the puppy suggest that the woman follows French fashion and belongs to a royal family, which creates an air of vanity about her. In the background, the leafy branches of a tall tree, bending opposite to the two human figures, depict windy weather. Towards the right side of the damsel is a high stonewall. Therefore, Goya has purposely placed all the bright colors, such as green, blue, red, and yellow in the center of the picture to create a cheerful effect, which was exactly compliant to the desires of the royal family. The flirtatious smile of the protagonist along with her direct gaze adds to the vivaciousness of the painting and gives a classic touch to it.

Francisco’s pictures were always appreciated for their light and shadow effect. His creation of light on canvas was magnificent and this helped him capture a warm and cozy environment in his paintings. In “The Parasol” or “The Quitasol,” too he has used lead white paint to create brightness and shadow lines. The elegance and the beauty of this painting, dipped in ‘Classicism,’ always had people flocking to admire it at the Prado Museum (Museo del Prado) in Madrid, where it is currently displayed.

Old Avida Dollars, his place in the artist’s pantheon is not immediately evident, indeed there are some critics who maintain that he has no place at all. That analysis seems a tad harsh, but yet it does prevail, perhaps Dali’s craving for stirring the waters gets in the way of what I believe is an undeniable contribution to the world of art. He was playing the populist celebrity card before there was a celebrity populist card, it worked, but it made the masses concentrate on the artist rather than the art. We now know in the present celebrity chock-full zoo, that no man can hold the public enthralled, they will eventually fail the illusion, eventually bore, eventually the masses will turn upon that which they once held dear.

In fairness, there were a heap of alluring features before getting to the actual canvases which were so easily distracting. He pranced around 1920s Madrid, looking dandy, sporting long hair and sideburns and a lovely pair of knee-length breeches and matching stockings. Staring out at the world, bug-eyed with his old pal Man Ray. Expelled from the Academia de San Fernando, Madrid he simply shrugged his shoulders, grumbling that he was better than anybody there including the professors. Later he donned his Velazquez waxen moustache, earning him eternal iconic status, immediately recognisable world-wide. Supposedly, his response to being disinherited, was to hand his father back a condom containing his sperm, exclaiming, ‘Now I owe you nothing!’. His ambiguous position on fascism, led to his expulsion from the Surrealist movement, Dali was nonplussed, stating, ‘I myself am Surrealism’. He delivered lectures in London, encased in a diving suit and helmet, gasping for breath and accompanied by a pack of wolfhounds.

So, you see, there is much that Dali caught the headlines for, that was far removed from his art. But come on! There are undeniable daubs of genius! I mean this is the dude who gave us the Mae West Lips Sofa! I’m kidding! I’m kidding! Nobody, not even his greatest detractors can dispute the perfection of his draughtsmanship. He mastered Cubist perspective. He dominated the surrealists. He survived Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art without becoming involved in them. Dali remained Dali and his art remains compelling and popular right down to the present day. He was unique, he was his own art movement.

Apparently Ronaldo is being treated like ‘a modern day slave’ according to FIFA President Sepp Blatter. Manchester United’s refusal to allow Ronaldo to leave for Real Madrid is tantamount to slavery.

And he believes Manchester United and Real Madrid should” sit together” if Ronaldo wants a move to the Spanish club.

“If the player wants to play somewhere else, then a solution should be found,” commented Blatter.

“Because if he stays in a club where he does not feel comfortable to play then it’s no good for the player and for the club.

“I’m always in favour to protect the player and if the player wants to leave, let him leave.”

Whilst Blatter has a point in that it is pointless trying to keep a player tied to a club if he wants to leave, comparing such players to ‘modern day slaves’ is an insult to those people who really are ‘modern day slaves’. Ronaldo ,football genius he is, earns more in a week than children in Asia will earn in a lifetime, he lives in mansions, wears the best clothes, drives the best cars, holidays in the best hotels. Real ‘modern day slaves’ do not have enough to eat, live in houses without sanitation or water or electricity – in my view Blatter pampered and spoiled bureaucrat that he is should think about what he is saying and try to be a little more thoughtful in his responses.

And anyway what about loyalty- should Ronaldo not have some measure of loyalty to the club that has helped bring him universal acclaim? Is there no loyalty in football any more or merely a wish for more and more money and prizes? So will Ronaldo stop playing if he is forced to stay at Manchester United or will he display a new maturity and still play at his peak?

On the subject of slaves are not 90% of the population who work in normal jobs, who are not fortunate enough to possess genius or the adulation of millions slaves also?

What do you think?