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Michel launches attack on Real Madrid boss

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-12-05 15:52

MADRID -- Michel Gonzalez on Thursday launched an attack on club President Ramon Calderon as he explained his reasons for resigning as the coordinator of the Real Madrid youth system.

Real Madrid's President Ramon Calderon holds up a newspaper reading "Calderon uses the club's credit card to pay for his spa, vet and golf" during a news conference in Madrid October 30, 2008. [Agencies]

Michel, a former Real Madrid hero as a player, resigned from his position late on Wednesday, but it was not until Thursday that he said why he was abandoning the club.

The former player used the press to launch a stinging criticism of Calderon, attacking his lack of interest in the Real Madrid youth system as a source of players for the first team.

"I have reached the conclusion that the Real Madrid president is not in the least bit interested in our work," Michel told sports paper Diario AS.

"He criticised it in public and in private and the worst thing is that he doesn't even know what we are doing, because he has never wanted to know," he added.

The Real Madrid youth system has struggled to produce players who have made the leap from the Real Madrid "B" team up to the first team in recent seasons.

Ruben de la Red and defender Miguel Torres are the only two who have moved up in the past three years and De la Red had to spend the last season on loan at Getafe to prove himself.

However, the youth system has produced a string of players who are succeeding in Spain's Primera Liga. Juan Mata had to move to Valencia to get first team football and recently received a call up to the Spain national squad.

Likewise striker Alvaro Negredo has been a big success at Almeria, while Esteban Granero is a first team regular with Getafe.

Perhaps the most successful Real Madrid export is Alvaro Arbeloa, who is now a regular with Premier League leaders Liverpool and a regular Spain international after making just a handful of appearances for Real Madrid.

Meanwhile the club continues to sign foreign players with striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar the most recent arrival.

"I am not disappointed because Calderon doesn't like the work I have been doing. What he should have done is said so to my face or sacked me."

"The reaction I get from the young players and their parents and the coaches who know what we are doing here, is a reason for me to leave proud of what I have done," said Michel.