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Villarreal's Riquelme in line for Real
(AFP)
Updated: 2006-01-11 09:44
MADRID(AFP) - Real Madrid have their eye on Villarreal's Argentine playmaker
Juan Roman Riquelme as an eventual replacement for the ageing Zinedine Zidane,
media reports said.
 According to AS daily, who quoted Riquelme as saying
he was happy to learn of Real's interest, Real are looking for a replacement for
French star Zidane.
Riquelme has been on loan from Barcelona for the past two years at
Villarreal, whom he helped into the Champions League this season - they will
face Glasgow Rangers in the last 16 - and insisted that he would be happy to
change allegiance with his heart as a fan belonging only to Boca Juniors.
"I said that when I signed for Barcelona, I'm not just saying it now to curry
favour with the people at Madrid," said the star, who rejected any idea that he
could be a new 'galactico.'
"I don't like the word galactico. I am just a normal footballer," he
stressed.
Meanwhile Real sporting director Emilio Butragueno insisted the league title
is not lost even if Real stand a mammoth 13 points adrift of Barca in sixth
place.
"We have not and will not say goodbye to the league title. We will give it
everything, game after game and are not giving in," said Butragueno, who
lamented the recent fitness problems of strikers Raul and Ronaldo.
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