Real Madrid consider scrapping Asia or US tour

Real Madrid are considering scrapping plans to tour Asia or the United States in the summer if the club fail to win the Spanish title, their sporting director Jorge Valdano said.

Real, the reigning champions, are four points behind league leaders Valencia with three matches left to play.

Valdano said that instead of repeating the lucrative tour of Asia they made last year, Real were considering opting for a summer tournament in Europe instead.

"We might reconsider our tour to Asia or the United States. Financially-speaking, we could get the same amount of money in Europe, and we already have some good offers," Valdano told Onda Cero radio.

The Chinese agency Xinhua reported in January that Real and their galaxy of stars - including England captain David Beckham, who is a superstar in Asia - were planning pre-season matches in Beijing, Tokyo and Seoul and would be paid 6.5 million euros (7.8 million dollars) for each game.

Xinhua also said Real were being lined up for matches in Los Angeles and New York for similar match fees.

Real made their first foray into the untapped Chinese market last summer and proved a big hit, largely due to Beckham who made his world debut for the club there after his high-profile move from Manchester United.

However reports have linked Beckham with a return to England at the end of this season with cash-rich Chelsea apparently trying to broker a deal.

Questions have been raised about the tiring effects of Real's tour to Asia last summer.

French playmaker Zinedine Zidane said the tour was "not the best way to prepare for a season".

Additionally, this year many of the Real team will be playing for their countries in the Euro 2004 finals in Portugal, which finish on July 4.