Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon last night launched a bitter attack on David Beckham as the Englishman's final six months in Spain look set to descend into acrimony and recrimination.
Beckham would like to negotiate an early departure from Madrid, but that may prove difficult after MLS commissioner Don Garber admitted LA Galaxy will struggle to find the money necessary to buy him out of his current contract.
If he is forced to stay, he will have little choice but to sit and suffer as a Bernabeu outcast - and, even if he succeeds in joining the LA Galaxy in time for the start of the MLS season in April, his departure will be wrought with bitterness.
Not only has coach Fabio Capello insisted Beckham will never play for the club again, but Calderon has now accused him of leading the club on.
"Beckham's representatives have toyed with us for the last two months. Whenever his representatives met Predrag Mijatovic they never informed him or the club that he had agreed a contract with another club," Calderon said.
"They never told us that Beckham had made his decision, that he had bought a house in Los Angeles. I don't feel that it's right and I certainly don't like it.
"I can understand Capello's decision to leave Beckham out of the first team. The player has his mind somewhere else. It's sad, because considering Beckham's time at Madrid he deserved a better ending at the club than this one. It was not right to see him announcing his departure on a video conference to the United States."
An early departure would be ideal for both Beckham and Madrid, but Beckham's camp yesterday insisted the midfielder would continue showing up for training while they await an explanation from the club.
Garber insisted the American league would do "everything they can" to secure an early departure, but conceded that LA Galaxy probably cannot afford to buy out the remainder of his contract.
Garber claimed Beckham's lawyers are trying to arrange an early release from Madrid, but the midfielder's camp insists they are content to await developments.
With the MLS season not starting until April, the English player is in no hurry to accept a quick resolution on the wrong terms.
Guardian Service
