C'Ron transfer fee excessive

Most Spaniards believe the 94 million euros paid by Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo was excessive, according to opinion polls Thursday.

To the question "do you think it was reasonable to pay this price?" some 75 percent of 10,000 Internet users who responded replied "no," one poll by the private radio station Cadena Ser said.

Three quarters of almost 100,000 Internet users who responded to a poll by the Marca newspaper also though Ronaldo was "expensive."

The newspaper ABC said some 72 percent of those questioned in its survey found the amount "excessive."

Manchester United said Thursday it had agreed to sell Ronaldo to Real Madrid for a world record 80 million pounds (130 million dollars, 94 million euros), far more than previous record of 75 million euros paid by Real for Zinedine Zidane in 2000.

Comments posted by Internet users on the site of the Madrid daily El Mundo were almost unanimously critical of the huge sum paid.

Among the comments were: "there's no sense in it," "it's immoral and an insult to the intelligence," and "it's completely insane."