Football Update

Blatter said in an interview with Sky News that he was critical of a trend towards "modern slavery" in football.

His view has raised eyebrows (and probably temperatures) at Old Trafford - and met with an unimpressed response within football generally.

United are insisting that Ronaldo, having signed a lucrative long-term contract, will not be allowed simply to walk away from the club. It should be stressed that the Portuguese international has not categorically stated that he wants to leave, though he has been sending out (presumably calculated) mixed messages about his future.

Real Madrid have been publicly courting the player all summer.

He is currently recovering from ankle surgery, and a United spokesperson said: "All our players - like at other clubs - enter into their contracts after an open and free negotiation.

"Most of [them] do after taking advice from a FIFA-registered agent.

"Many do so on a number of occasions and enjoy long and successful stays at Old Trafford."

And Uefa have effectively refuted Blatter's claim that players are slaves to clubs, warning that in fact they are becoming more and more powerful because of the Bosman ruling.

Indeed, Uefa's communications director, William Gaillard, who is also a special advisor to the body's president, Michel Platini, stressed that players' salaries are "spiralling out of control.

"It would be useful to remind people that slaves in all of the slavery systems never earned a wage," Gaillard told Sky Sports News.

Since 1995, under Bosman, players have been allowed free transfers at the end of contracts, and those nearing the end of their deals are inevitably targeted by rival clubs.

"It seems that both clubs and players are trying to negotiate an exit before the player is free," said Gaillard.

"It is a consequence of the Bosman ruling - there is nothing we can do about that.

"It is obvious that today players have a lot more power than they did 20 years ago, undoubtedly, and agents have a lot more power than they did 20 years ago.

"It is true that salaries are spiralling out of control. Many clubs have pointed that out."

Asked if he felt sympathy for Ronaldo's current position, Blatter replied: "Absolutely, absolutely.

"Definitely as a footballer and the Fifa president, I'm very in sympathy with the player Ronaldo."

He added: "I think in football there is too much modern slavery, transferring players or buying players here and there, and putting them somewhere. And we are trying now to intervene in such cases."

Mark Hinton, Goal.com