Real Madrid apologise over training mix-up

Real Madrid apologised to Hong Kong soccer fans on Thursday for a mix-up over an open training session which failed to take place on Wednesday night.

"It was a misunderstanding," said club president Florentino Perez, explaining at a news conference the session had not been on the team's schedule.

Organisers who had arranged for about 1,000 spectators to watch the training were not immediately available for comment.

Real had dismayed fans by failing to show up at the city's main soccer stadium after arriving late from Tokyo. Organisers said at the time the players were too tired.

But local television later showed footage of them, including David Beckham, visiting nightspots, dogged by hordes of fans seeking autographs and pictures.

"We treasure Hong Kong fans," Perez said. "We hope you are not disappointed because of the misunderstanding."

"We want to win the hearts of the people in Hong Kong and China," he added.

There was another glitch on Thursday morning when Real appeared over an hour late for the open training session which was on their schedule.

But boos turned into cheers as Beckham and the rest of the team finally strode on to the pitch in front of 30,000 fans, some of whom had waited overnight to watch Real practise before an exhibition match on Friday against a Hong Kong Select XI.

Beckham, mobbed everywhere, said: "It's something that we're all used to and I'm used to now. You know I've had it for quite a few years now."

Friday's game is the latest stop in Real Madrid's first Asian tour, which ends in Bangkok, as they seek to crack the lucrative Far East market.

Perez also told Thursday's news conference that Real planned to open a soccer training school in Shanghai.