MADRID (Reuters):

Offloading Ronaldo to AC Milan was one of the chief reasons why Real Madrid ended up winning the Spanish title, according to club president Ramon Calderón.

"It was vital that we recovered the habit of hard work and sacrifice and he (Ronaldo) didn't collaborate," Calderón told Spanish daily El País in an interview yesterday.

"I've enjoyed watching him, but we had to change the atmosphere in the dressing room and he wasn't helping."

Asked how much the decision to sell the Brazilian striker influenced Real's victory in the title race, Calderón replied: "A lot."

Real sold Ronaldo to Milan for €7.5 million (US$10.20 million) in January this year when they were in third spot in the Primera Liga, four points behind leaders Barcelona.

The nine-times European champions mounted a strong comeback in the second half of the season, pipping Barcelona to the title by virtue of their better record in head-to-head matches.

Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello, who was reported to have been the driving force behind the decision to offload Ronaldo, was sacked 11 days after steering the club to their first league title in four years.

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Meanwhile, Calderón added that Getafe coach Bernd Schuster is the right man to take over as Real Madrid boss. "It seems to me that his teams play good, entertaining football," the Real supremo said in the interview.

"He knows the club and knows how to handle a dressing room full of stars."

Former Real Madrid midfielder Schuster, who has been linked with the club's coaching job since midway through last season, is expected to buy himself out of his present contract with Getafe today and then make the switch to Real.

"I think he has sent us a letter, which I haven't yet seen, saying that he has sorted out his contract with Getafe," Calderon said.

"As soon as he says he's free, then I want to talk with him and find out how he wants the team to play."

Calderón said that the club's sporting director Predrag Mijatovic had been the person who had recommended Capello's appointment, but said the former player had lost faith in the Italian during the course of the season.