Real Madrid confirm interest in Vieira
Real Madrid are interested in signing Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira but are a long way from securing his move to the Primera Liga, the Spanish club's director of football said on Tuesday.
Real Madrid are interested in signing Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira but are a long way from securing his move to the Primera Liga, the Spanish club's director of football said on Tuesday.
Vieira has been the subject of media speculation over a move away from the English champions to Real, though the Spanish club had not confirmed their interest in the 28-year-old midfielder until Tuesday.
"Yes. He's a very interesting player and he's very important for us and our club," Emilio Butragueno, Real Madrid's director of football, said when asked whether his club were trying to sign the France international.
"We're not there yet. It's a long process... I think this week will be decisive," the former Spanish striker told Reuters in Tokyo, where Real Madrid are due to play against two J-League teams as part of a pre-season tour.
Real president Florentino Perez, who was re-elected earlier this month, has made it his policy to sign a 'galactico' each season. He has enticed Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and David Beckham to the Bernabeu in the last four years.
Despite the influx of talent, Real ended last season trophyless.
They were knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals, lost in the Kings Cup final and finished their league campaign in fourth place, with the team being jeered after a record fifth defeat in a row.
Butragueno said he was keen to turn the page on last season.
"It was just football. All of a sudden our performance went down. There were two or three really important matches where we were unlucky and that had a negative effect from a psychological point of view."
"Now we are going to open a new chapter in the history of our club because Perez won the elections and we signed a new coach in (Jose Antonio) Camacho so everything is going to be new in that sense."
"We are very, very happy about the future. We think we have a great team and we think that Camacho is going to do a good job, so we have to be optimistic."
Real Madrid face JEF United Ichihara on Thursday and Tokyo Verdy on Sunday.