Van der Vaart: No choice but to leave Real Madrid

Rafael van der Vaart admits he is leaving Real Madrid.

The Dutch midfielder told Sportweek: "It is really a nasty blow to hear that (Manuel) Pellegrini has no intention of relying on me. I really did not expect this, since I arrived in Madrid only a year ago.

"I have always dreamed of playing in Madrid, but the leadership has left me no choice: I must go."

"Staying in Spain makes no sense, since apart from Barcelona, all the other teams are of a lower level."