Valdano apologises to Real Madrid fans for miserable run

Real Madrid sporting director Jorge Valdano said that all he could do was apologise to the club's fans after they slumped to a fourth successive league defeat for the first time in their history on Sunday.

Real were dealt a humiliating 2-1 defeat away to already relegated Murcia which, combined with Barcelona's 1-0 win at home to Racing Santander, meant they lost second spot in the league with one game left to play.

"It is difficult to find an explanation for what has happened to us in the last two months," Valdano told the club's website.

"All we can do ask for forgiveness from Madrid fans and say to them that we will try to analyse what is happening."

Real's misery was compounded by the sending off of midfielder David Beckham who will now miss his side's final match of the season against Real Sociedad.

It was the fourth time in five matches that Real have ended a game with just 10 men.

Fellow midfielders Zinedine Zidane and Guti will also miss the Sociedad game after they were booked in the second half.

"The team is uncoordinated and psychologically damaged," Valdano said.

"The players are running around and are keen to do well, but we have been reduced to 10 men once again and that is a mark of the frustration of the players."

If Real do not finish second to champions Valencia it will disrupt their plans for a pre-season tour of Asia because they will have to play a Champions League qualifier in August.

Valdano admitted that if they did lose out to Barcelona in the race for second place then they would have to make alternative arrangements that could have negative effects on next season.

"We can play games in Europe which will be just as profitable as Asia, but we would like to go there because there are many fans there who are keen to see Real Madrid once a year."

"It is going to be more uncomfortable if we have to play a qualifier and have to shorten the holidays of the players and that will be a problem for next season."