Why Real Madrid doubt Rafael Vaart

Thursday 18 December 2008

In these times of crisis Real Madrid already replaced their manager and in the energy field around the club a warning has been issued for the contingency of Dutch players.

At least that is how yesterday's news in sports newspaper AS can be interpreted.

According to AS Real want to get rid of Rafael Van der Vaart at the end of this season, who - only four months after his arrival is called 'indifferent' and 'not focused'.

The fact that one of Madrid's two biggest papers writes it does not necessarily mean it is true.

But the news comes out in a period in which Van der Vaart is not a regular for his club and in which Madrid have a surplus of creative midfielders in their squad.

Besides, the editor of the article is an influential journalist with years long contacts within the club.

Van der Vaart is matter of factish about the rumors.

He admits his output has gone down over the past two months, but denies to know anything about a departure.

"It's much too early for that. I've only just arrived."

The Holland international held a press conference yesterday at Madrid's training facilities.

Every day of training one player has to do so.

And he talked to General Director José Angel Sanchez.

He comforted the Dutchman by stating that Van der Vaart is still part of their 'project'.

According to the Director it is not for nothing that the club have signed several players for five years.

The player and the people around him assume it is a false alarm.

But what else can they do?

Nevertheless: all six Dutchman at Real know now that they are under the magnifying glass in the times of crisis.

"The first two months here I played well," thinks Van der Vaart, who came over from Hamburg this summer for 15 million euro.

"I started out with four goals. But then I ended up on the bench, returned to the briefly but was on the bench again last week. In that sense it is true that my output has sunk. But do not blame only me. The fact that Real are not playing well is due to a combination of factors."

"I am working hard to get back in the team. Every player is responsible for himself. I have to get to work and I can feel it is going better already."

He reminds his audience that his best position is just behind the center forward and it is a fact that with Van der Vaart in that position Real were playing well earlier in the season.

From the moment fired coach Bernd Schuster started moving players around things started going downhill.

Schuster was a manager who hardly spoke to his players.

According to Director Sanchez Van der Vaart can assume that new coach Juande Ramos is happy with him.

But still in his first Spanish league game against Barcelona Ramos did not start with Van der Vaart.

And he did not put him on when Wesley Sneijder had to come off with an injury, half an hour into the game or when Guti came off in the second half.

Van der Vaart only got a few minutes towards the end as a third sub.

In Guti and Sneijder Van der Vaart has two competitors who are - especially Guti - high up in the dressing room hierarchy.

Competitors that are not there for Royston Drenthe.

It's been said a few times that Madrid want to sell the Rotterdammer but in recent weeks he played almost every game as a left midfielder.

The same goes for Arjen Robben who is Madrid's only true winger of a quality that Madrid don't have in any other player, and Huntelaar has been signed to replace the injured Van Nistelrooy.

But Huntelaar also had to read in the papers how chairman Calderón said in the newspapers that Huntelaar would have to settle for a role as a stand-in.

Briefly it was suggested yesterday that Van der Vaart was overweight, although it was not in the initial newspaper article in AS.

Besides the fat percentage of all players was measured yesterday and with 11.7% Van der Vaart was well within the usual range.

At the press conference Van der Vaart was also asked about a betting form that was found in the Madrid dressing room which had put Barcelona down as the winners of last weekend's Classico and which was said to be his.

"The one who filled it out has probably made some good money," Van der Vaart said jokingly.