With a second Liga title secure Fabio Capello finally spoke out, leaving Real Madrid with the feeling that success will not bring stability.
All season the president, Ramon Calderon, has planned to replace the Italian: now, Capello has revealed that all the manoeuvring, the negotiations with Getafe's coach, Bernd Schuster, and the courting of Liverpool's Rafa Benitez, have not gone unnoticed.
Capello lashed out yesterday. As he sat before the journalists that had, in his eyes, acted as judge and jury, his mobile phone beeped away next to him. "Those are messages of congratulations," the Italian snapped, "all of a sudden everyone is my friend! I have been labelled a defensive coach and have been beaten about all year. Everyone in Spain reckons they are a coach - from the comfort of their sofa."
His most telling remarks were reserved for Calderon, who pulled out of sacking the Italian only because of the size of the pay-off.
Asked if he would be continuing as Madrid's coach, Capello replied: "Don't ask me. Ask Calderon whether winning the league is enough for him or whether he will be on the phone to another manager tomorrow. I do not feel that I have had Calderon's support this season. He did not come down to the dressingroom to congratulate the players and me after the game."
Capello has two years left on his Madrid deal but the club also have a pre-contractual agreement to bring in Schuster and far from clarifying matters as Capello asked, Calderon sought to pass the matter over to the sporting director, Predrag Mijatovic, and refused to be drawn.
Despite insisting that "at last we are seeing the Madrid we all wanted to see," Calderon said: "I will speak to Mijatovic, Franco Baldini (Capello's right-hand man) and all the football staff and take a decision.
"At the moment we have not made any decision and now is not the time to talk about that; now is the time to enjoy this success," Calderon added. "We'll talk about that in a week's time and see if we can come to a conclusion."
Schuster, who has been widely linked to the job in the Spanish media, said: "I'm not making myself crazy over it but am just saying that I am ready to coach Real Madrid next season." Schuster, who played for Real and Barcelona in the 1980s, added: "I have been preparing myself for it for a long time and Real is definitely part of my planning. I am curious to find out what will happen in the next few days . . . When certain clubs approach you, you have to be ready for action."
Nor is it just Capello's future that needs to be clarified. Madrid need to look towards strengthening their squad for next season, with a right-sided midfielder to replace David Beckham a priority. The future of Jose Antonio Reyes, on loan from Arsenal, must also be resolved.
Madrid have decided not to exercise their right to buy Reyes from Arsenal for €20 million especially as Arsenal will not be keeping Julio Baptista. That leaves Reyes in limbo, but there have been hints that Madrid would negotiate separately for him if his price dropped.
Reyes is determined not to return to England and has instructed his agents to find him a club in Spain, with Sevilla and Atletico Madrid understood to be front-runners. The Andalucian, who has missed much of the season through injury, did his future prospects no harm with his two goals against Real Mallorca on Sunday night, but he recognises his chances of staying at the Bernabeu are limited after a campaign in which he has largely disappointed.
"Scoring the two goals that gave us the league is the greatest thing that has happened to me in my life," he said. "I have had a really hard season, I have sat on the bench most weeks but on the biggest day of the season, I have played a key part and I am delighted. I don't know what is going to happen now. I'm just going to have to enjoy this moment while I can."
David Beckham will be relieved that US domestic soccer doesn't have a system of relegation - otherwise his first season in Major League Soccer might be a fight to avoid the drop. Beckham's new club LA Galaxy have made a dreadful start to the season winning just two of their opening nine matches.
Meanwhile, Argentinian striker Javier Saviola has said he is leaving Barcelona after six years with a "bitter taste" in his mouth because of the club's treatment of him in his final season.
Guardian Service
