Real Madrid delighted with Gerrard and Robinho 'rebellions'

By Duncan Shaw Jul 6, 2005, 12:07 GMT

Brazilian forward Robinho insisted Monday, 04 July 2005, in a press conference in Sao Paulo, that he wishes to transfer to Spain\'s Real Madrid EPA/FILIPE ARAUJO BRAZIL

Madrid - Real Madrid can hardly contain their delight at the situation of Steven Gerrard and Robinho.

Both players are high on Real's summer wanted list - and both are now in "rebellion" against their clubs, Liverpool and Santos.

On Wednesday, Madrid sports daily As temporarily put aside its saturation coverage of the International Olympic Committee meeting on to decide on the host city for the 2012 Games to comment that "the Gerrard and Robinho situations could hardly be more favourable for Real...Both players are desperate to leave their clubs and both would love to come to the Bernabeu."

Rival daily Marca, for its part, pointed out that the oft-repeated strategy of Real president Florentino Perez "seems to be working yet again".

That strategy is to unofficially tell the local media which particular "galactico" he is interested in, at the same time as denying this in public.

The next stage of the operation is to ask the "galactico" to publicly declare his desire to join Real - and then to start a "rebellion" against his club, pressuring them to sell him to the whites.

With his back well covered, Perez - always disdainful of FIFA rules about "poaching" - then steps in with a transfer bid which the player's club finds difficult to refuse, in the circumstances.

It is a strategy which has made Perez - currently in Singapore as part of the Madrid Olympic bid delegation - unpopular with other club presidents. But it is a policy which has worked. In 2000 Luis Figo was snatched from Barcelona in this way, in 2001 Zinedine Zidane fron Juventus.

Brazil's new star, Robinho, control the ball during a training session. EPA/GEORGI LICOVSKI

Last summer Perez used this mean masterplan to lure Michael Owen away from Liverpool - though he is now keen to offload the striker in order to finance new deals.

Last week Santos turned down Real's 18 million euro bid for Robinho. Santos president Marcelo Teixeira claims that the young striker will not leave the club for less than 40 million.

Robinho has since refused to train, saying that "it is not only my desire but also my right to leave for Madrid."

On Tuesday Gerrard announced that he had taken "the most difficult decision of my life" - to leave Liverpool - though he appeared to be having second thoughts on Wednesday.

Liverpool turned down a 32-million pound (56.3-million dollar) bid from Chelsea for their captain on Tuesday but Perez is hoping that Gerrard's desire to come to "La Liga" could lead to the European champions eventually accepting a lower bid from Madrid.

In an internet poll taken by Marca last week, Real fans voted Gerrard as their third choice signing and Robinho the fourth. Top of the fans' wanted list are Thierry Henry of Arsenal and Chelsea's Frank Lampard, both of whom are staying put.

According to El Pais on Wednesday, "Perez is a patient negotiator and will be prepared to wait all summer, if necessary, for Gerrard and Robinho - until, in fact, the patience of Liverpool and Santos is worn down."

Real have already made two signings this summer, Uruguayans Carlos Diogo and Pablo Garcia. But they are bread-and-butter players brought in by football director Arrigo Sacchi.

Diogo and Garcia leave Perez cold. The same as every summer, he is desperate to bring in at least one more "galactico" who has decided to rebel against his present club.