Beckham and Roberto Carlos leaving - but what about Capello?

By Duncan Shaw Jun 14, 2007, 17:27 GMT

Madrid - This week David Beckham and Roberto Carlos announced to the media that they were leaving Real Madrid, thus bringing the curtain down on the much-vaunted 'Galactico' era at the club.

Roberto Carlos bowed out on Wednesday at an emotional press conference, saying that his eleven seasons at the Estadio Bernabeu had been 'the best years of my career.'

The Brazilian veteran added that he was 'really keen' to sign off with the Spanish league title, by beating Mallorca at home on Sunday.

Roberto Carlos, 34, is leaving Real on a free transfer, and has signed a two-year contract with Fenerbahce.

On Thursday came the turn of Beckham.

As usual, the press room at the Bernabeu was packed for the former England captain. He signed off with his habitual elegance and good grace, though without using very much Spanish despite having now spent four years in Madrid.

The first thing that Beckham wanted to do was to end the rumours about a possible volte-face, singing a new contract at Real and wriggling out of his deal with LA Galaxy.

'My last game with Real will be on Sunday,' he confirmed. 'There's no clause in the deal I signed with the Galaxy saying that it could be changed.

'I've played for Real Madrid for four years. I've had an incredible, incredible time. Hopefully it'll end with the best ending possible - with the La Liga title.'

Beckham is keen to avoid the dubious accolade of being the only foreign player since 1950 at Real not to win a single trophy.

'I knew I was leaving Real Madrid six months ago in January, when I was told my contract would not be renewed. That's the time I knew I needed to decide my future.

'Leaving a club like Real is very difficult. My future is very bright. I think it's something I'm looking forward to now, but I'll miss Real Madrid and Spain a huge, huge amount.'

True to elegant form, Beckham refused to talk about the bad days in Spain nor criticize Real president Ramon Calderon for delaying in offering him a new deal in January.

Neither did he have harsh words for coach Fabio Capello, who banished him to the stands after the LA deal was announced.

'I have a lot of respect for Capello', he said, 'he is one of the best managers I have had.'

Capello only allowed Beckham back in the team in February when pressured by the other players.

In his very first game back, in February, Beckham scored the winning goal away to Real Sociedad.

Since then, the Englishman's form has been excellent, setting up many goals for top scorer Ruud Van Nistelrooy and the others.

Real have lost just one game in five months since Beckham's returning - whilst Barcelona have stuttered and stumbled - leaving them just one win away from their first title since 2003.

Whether Capello will follow Beckham and Roberto Carlos away from the Estadio Bernabeu is a matter of debate at the moment.

There have been rumours about Capello being sacked all season. He was about to be axed in January, after sending Beckham and Antonio Cassano up to the stands and after packing Ronaldo off AC Milan.

But Calderon could not afford the necessary eight million to pay off Capello and his assistants, all under contract until 2009.

So the Italian stayed in the job and - partly due to Beckham and Van Nistelrooy, partly due to a new fighting spirit - results improved dramatically.

Despite this improvement, it seems that, in April, Calderon - annoyed with Capello for his treatment of Beckham, Cassano and Ronaldo, as well as for the dull playing style imposed on the team - offered the Real bench for next season to Getafe coach Bernd Schuster.

Indeed, some sections of the media have even claimed that Calderon will have to heavily pay out the German if he isn't, in the end, offered the job.

On Wednesday Calderon and Capello had their first meeting for months, which lasted for just five minutes.

Calderon told the Italian that he didn't like Capello's habit of using two defensive midfielders, something that goes against Real's tradition.

He told Capello that he had still not decided who would be coach, and would tell him his decision next Monday, after the Mallorca finale.

The same as in January, Capello responded that he would prefer to continue, but if not he and his assistants would have to be fully paid off.

Online opinion polls in all the Madrid newspapers show that a large majority of Real fans would like Capello to continue, despite all the midseason problems.

Calderon appears to be wavering in his determination to bring in Schuster, and is clearly now caught in a massive dilemma: how can he sack the coach who has brought success back to the club?

But how can he tell Schuster that the April deal is now off, after the German has reportedly turned down several clubs in Germany and Spain due to the Real offer?

In many ways it is an appropriately chaotic and contradictory end for Real's season, a season which has lurched dramatically between triumph and disaster.

Calderon has until Monday to make up his mind...