Javier Saviola may need to leave Real Madrid

Jan 24 2009 By Matt McKenzie

Real Madrid coach Juande Ramos has told unsettled striker Javier Saviola he may have to seek pastures new if he wants to be guaranteed first-team football every week.

Saviola has been little more than a bit-part player at the Bernabeu since joining from Barcelona in 2007 and the Argentina international admits the situation for him has now become ``intolerable".

The 27-year-old, who is behind Raul, Gonzalo Higuain and new signing Klaas Jan Huntelaar in the pecking order, said in Spanish newspaper Marca today: ``I’m going through a very tough time because, despite all my efforts in every training session, I’ve not been rewarded with minutes on the pitch.

``It’s a very tough situation, you have to be strong mentally because every game that passes which you don’t play in destroys you a little more psychologically.

``I spoke with Juande to find out what was happening. It was a very cordial chat, and we both knew it was nothing personal. I told him I needed to play, and that if I wasn’t in his plans, that he should tell the management to allow me to leave during this transfer window, because this situation is intolerable."

Ramos responded to those comments at today’s press conference for Madrid Primera Liga match against Osasuna tomorrow, a game Saviola has not been called up for.

Ramos said: ``It’s normal they complain. I like players who don’t conform, they have to be ambitious, but a squad like Real Madrid has a lot of good players and you can only play 11, and the others have to wait.

``If a player wants to play every Sunday he has to look for a team of inferior quality. Here the competition is very high.

``It’s easy to say Saviola should play more, but not so easy to say which players should be left out.

``The players that are now ahead of him have a sufficient quality and level to be starters at Real Madrid."