MADRIDISTAS UNHAPPY WITH THE CIRCUS ALREADY

Last updated : 20 June 2003 By Editor
The Mirror reports:

Real Madrid had peace talks with their players yesterday to try to calm mounting tension over the David Beckham transfer.

Some of the star-studded squad are angry the £25million deal for the England captain overshadowed the build-up to their title quest.

Real need to beat Athletic Bilbao on Sunday to become Spanish champions, but senior players such as Raul and Fernando Hierro have voiced concerns that their battle to finish top could be scuppered by all the distractions surrounding the England captain's transfer.


Beckham has tried to distance himself from the row:

"I want to apologise to the players because all this has not been caused by me [obviously it was merely a coincidence the deal was announced just as he’d stepped on a plane to Japan as part of a publicity tour].

"I did not want to detract from them fighting for the league. I wish them good luck.

"Things went on that, of course, I'm not happy about. After the clubs came to an agreement on the money side, it was my decision. For me, it was a good decision.

"If I was going to leave Manchester United at any point in my career then it would only be to a massive club like Real Madrid.

"I wouldn't have done it if it affected my England career. I spoke to Eriksson about it all because England is an important part of my career.

"I've heard all the stuff about me wanting Raul's shirt, but I would never dream of taking it. He's the king of Real Madrid and I've never said that I want the No.7 from him.

"I'll miss the fans and the players that I've grown up with. I regard the players at Manchester as a family. I've got a lot of special friends there who have been kind to me for 13 years. It wouldn't be right to leave them without saying goodbye. I owe them a lot.”


Club captain Hierro was clearly unhappy:

"There has been a lot of fuss, but we have something more important to concentrate on.There is the small matter of a championship to win, and believe me, that is the only thing that is in the mind of the players at the moment.

"We must concentrate on that, even if events off the field are hardly helping us."


Midfielder Guti believes the arrival of Beckham will force him out of the club he has supported all his life:

"It won't make me happy to leave but I don't think I have any alternative. I'm tired of banging into walls all the time. All the doors are closing for me here.

"I was improving as a midfielder when the club signed Zinedine Zidane. Then I was coming on as a forward and they went out and signed Ronaldo.

"Now I'm in the Spain team as a midfielder and they go and buy Beckham. I want to play football. If it's not here, it will have to be somewhere else."


Salgado said:

"It's not the best time for the signing to be made public, but it appears there was no alternative.''

"I came here not prepared to talk about Beckham. I know that's not easy, but all I am going to say at the moment is that he's a great player and we can say more when the season is over.”