Real deny Buffon link

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has played down rumours that the Spanish giants are interested in Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

Reports suggested that El Santiago Bernabeu outfit wanted to sign Buffon for the 2005/06 season and add some competition to the custodial department for number one Iker Casillas.

Despite speculation that Juve would consider cashing in on Buffon, Perez was quick to quash rumours that the Spanish giants are interested in the Azzurri keeper.

"Real Madrid's president wants to deny the news posted by a few medias about the presumed club's interest for Gianluigi Buffon," declared Perez.

Back in April, Buffon pledged his future to the Bianconeri after signing a two-year extension to his current contract.

His deal was due to expire in 2006, but Buffon has penned terms to keep him at Stadio Delle Alpi until 2008.

Meanwhile, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) have upheld Fifa's ruling which orders Real Madrid to pay fellow Italian side Internazionale the sum of ‚é¼8 million for the completion of the transfer of Brazilian striker Ronaldo.

The former PSV Eindhoven and Barcelona hit-man made a big money move to El Santiago Bernabeu in 2002 - with a further sum of ‚é¼10 million or the move of Argentine midfielder Santiago Solari in the other direction to Inter to complete the transfer.

Solari was to reject a move to the Giuseppe Meazza side, with Real insisting that Inter offered a deliberately low wage to put him off the switch.

Despite appealing, Fifa went on to rule against the Spanish giants and ordered them to pay the remaining ‚é¼10 million to the Serie A outfit.

Real then decided to take their appeals to CAS, who still ruled against them but reduced the charge from ‚é¼10 million to ‚é¼8 million.

‚é¼7 million must be paid within by the end of this month whilst the remaining ‚é¼1 million is due by June 2005.