Real Madrid look to England, Portugal to avoid no-show

May 14, 2008

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Spanish champions Real Madrid are looking to English and Portuguese clubs to help save Sunday's strike-threatened league title celebration from turning to disaster.

Real are scheduled to be presented with their 31st league title at the Bernabeu, but a players' strike at financially troubled outfit Levante could deprive the Spanish giants with opposition for the match.

“We are in talks with certain clubs in England and Portugal because their championships have already finished,” Real president Ramon Calderon told Spanish Cadena Ser radio on Wednesday.

“If Levante don't turn up, we need an alternative solution so that supporters who come to the stadium can watch a match,” Calderon said, adding that he had urged the players' union to help avoid a no-show.

On Monday, the players of relegated first division side Levante went on strike over unpaid wages totalling up to 18 million euros, with a players' spokesman declaring it was for an 'indeterminate time'.

Speaking to the AS newspaper, Levante's Ghanaian striker Mustapha Riga said he had been paid only 40,000 euros over the last two seasons, far below the amount stipulated in his contract.

“I'm not alone in this, many of my teammates are in the same situation. It's very serious,” Riga said.

Real are eight points ahead of Villarreal with one match remaining while Levante are bottom, a massive 17 points adrift of fourth from bottom Osasuna.

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