Hong Kong fans will be able to watch Cristiano Ronaldo "in the flesh" this summer if a €4M ($4.2M) deal to bring Real Madrid to the city works out, according to Chan Kin-wa of the SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST. To mark the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s reunification with China, the government "is splashing out cash to bring some of the world’s leading sports personalities and teams to Hong Kong" in '17. These include Real Madrid, which boasts four-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Luka Modrić, James Rodríguez as well as French Manager Zinedine Zidane. A source said, "We are very keen to get the Spanish giants to Hong Kong and have made several contacts with Real. The response is quite positive and hopefully we can finalize the deal as soon as possible." Real Madrid last visited Hong Kong in '03 during its Asia Tour and paraded its "Five Aces" -- Zidane, Brazil int'l Ronaldo, Luis Figo, Roberto Carlos and David Beckham. The club "pulled in a full house of 40,000 at the Hong Kong Stadium." The organizers "are also confident the same will happen this year." The source said, "The €4 million is only appearance money and there will be other expenses such as air fares and accommodation" (SCMP, 1/5).
