Not content with dissing David Beckham on his way out the door, Real Madrid President Ramón Calderón had a speaking engagement at a university Tueday night, and (shades of Bobby Valentine) found out afterwards that his remarks had aired on national radio. From the Guardian’s Paolo Menicucci.
“There is vanity, egoism and they all think they are superstars,” Calderón told the gathering at the Villanueva University Centre. “Real Madrid players never pay for anything. You [students] have education and culture and that’s something that they in general don’t possess.”
Calderón also took a swipe at David Beckham’s decision to sign a five-year, $250m deal with Los Angeles Galaxy last week. “He’s going to Hollywood to be half a film star,” he said. “Our technical staff were right not to extend his contract and that has been proved by the fact that no other technical staff in the world wanted him except Los Angeles.”
The fans did not escape Calderón’s ire, with the president saying that the Real crowd were hard to please. “It’s a stadium where people go as if they were going to the theatre. The people don’t support the team, not like in Italy and England.”
Real later issued a statement saying that they were surprised and disappointed that the comments had been recorded and played on national radio. “The president was only trying to help students understand the importance of management in a business as big as that of Real Madrid.”
Goals from Aaron McLean and David Harris pushed Plymouth Argyle past Peterborough United, 2-1, in Wednesday’s 3rd round F.A. Cup replay. With typical aplomb, Ian Holloway declared, “We are in the the fourth round for the first time in seven years, so I have got to be happy – just ask the teams that are not in the next round.” When entering a battle of wits with Ollie, you’d better pack some painkillers.