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Real at "war" with each other: media
(AFP)
Updated: 2006-03-08 09:14
BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) - Real Madrid's stars are at "war" with each other as
they head for a third straight season without a trophy, with Brazilian forward
Ronaldo and Spanish midfielder Guti having come to blows, Barcelona-based sports
media reported on Tuesday.
"Civil war in Madrid," said Sport daily in a front-page headline, adding the
reason Guti pulled out of last week's friendly international with Ivory Coast
with a leg injury was down to Ronaldo having kicked out at him following the 1-0
Champions League home leg loss to Arsenal two weeks ago.
Sport quoted a radio journalist from Onda Cero, Jose Manuel Estrada, as
saying the usually close friends had had an angry exchange which turned into
fisticuffs following the Arsenal match which left the club on the brink of
elimination ahead of Wednesday's return at Highbury.
Ronaldo, who last month claimed the fans at the Bernabeu have never loved
him, is set to feature on Wednesday. But while he is Real's top scorer in the
league with ten goals suspension and injury have restricted him to just one
Champions League game this season -- when he flopped against the Gunners.
Reports suggest the Brazilian World Cup winner is heading back to Italy at
the end of the season, either to former club Inter Milan or AC Milan.
He was dropped for Saturday's league derby win over Atletico in which
replacement Antonio Cassano scored, but is widely predicted to be given another
chance at Highbury.
"We have to win, with or without Ronaldo," goalkeeper Iker Casillas said
curtly when asked if a Brazilian or an Italian might lead the line.
Amid media predictions the Real squad will be pulled apart at the end of
another under-achieving season new chairman Fernando Martin is looking for a new
generation of superstars.
Teenage Spanish international Cesc Fabregas is top of his shopping list,
according to Marca magazine, which said Martin, who took over last week from
original galactico-buyer Florentino Perez, would proceed cautiously.
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