Print

Mail

wiki links

Calderon adds to Capello speculation

Real Madrid have considered offering its coaching job -- currently held by Fabio Capello -- to Arsene Wenger, Ronald Koeman or Michael Laudrup, club president Ramon Calderon said yesterday.

His comments added further fuel to press comments that Capello is likely on his way out of Madrid despite securing the league championship Sunday with a 3-1 win against Mallorca.

Following the departure of stars like David Beckham and Roberto Carlos, Calderon said sports director Predrag Mijatovic will decide how to rebuild the team -- including whether to find a new coach.

"Mijatovic talked to me about Wenger, Koeman and Laudrup" Calderon said at a news conference.

The Madrid president denied reports linking Getafe manager Bernd Schuster to the coaching job, and said he was not yet on the club's acquisition list.

"Schuster is not there because he has a valid contract with another club. Should he resolve that situation then he could be on our list," Calderon said.

Calderon said he had always liked Schuster as a coach, and had suggested him last year as a replacement for Lopez Caro, who had a six-month spell in charge of Madrid after replacing Vanderlei Luxemburgo. Caro was replaced by Capello instead.

"Schuster seemed to me to be the ideal coach, but Mijatovic told me it was not Schuster's moment, he said it was Fabio Capello's moment," Calderon said.

Calderon said he still wants Madrid to sign AC Milan playmaker Kaka, if the two clubs can reach an agreement on the price.

"Milan are not going to make it easy for us, but I'd love to see this player in the Madrid squad," he said. "Milan will want a very high sum and we would only be prepared to pay a reasonable amount."

However, Madrid wants to distance themselves from the era of Galactico big name signings -- headline-grabbing stars like Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Ronaldo and Beckham -- because they made the club look arrogant, Calderon said.

Calderon said Madrid was in good financial health, with its income almost evenly divided between ticket and concession sales for matches at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, television deals and marketing its brand.

The club's revenue rose 16 percent to 343 million euros (US$459.5 million) during last season, with operating income 37 percent to 80 million euros, Calderon said.
This story has been viewed 1245 times.