BECKHAM: “I AM STILL AIMING AT THE TREBLE”
Sunday, Jan 11, 2004

The inventor of the treble sticks to his guns; he wants all three titles, though, if he was to choose, he would go for the Liga, a very important trophy for the Club…"which is also very keen on the Champions League".

He remains optimistic despite the recent results ("nothing serious") and expects a quick recovery. The Englishman admits he misses the field and whishes to be in the team to play Betis, as he ruled out his appearance at the Eibar game.

-Real Madrid's performance has come down over the last few games. Does the team miss you presence?
-It is me who misses the team. I am looking forward to playing with the squad as soon as possible. It is true we have done two games worst than expected. It is bad results, but they do not mean a serious problem.

-You were the first player to mention the treble: Liga, Champions League and Spanish Cup. Do you think you still have options to win them all? Will you need more signings to achieve it?
-Yes, it is still possible to hit a trebble. It is not up to us to talk about the need for more new players, that's up to the President and the Club's management. We are still fighting for all three competitions doing some good playing, though it will be hard to win everything.

-Which one of the three competitions would you like to win?
-All three of them, I would not like to pick one out, though I admit it is always very important to win the national league of the country. I have also sensed that Champions League is a very significant trophy for the Club. We want to win the three of them.

-How is your injury going and how long will it be until you can hit the field?
-At first I expected to play Eibar, but now I think I am not very likely to appear as soon as that, because it still hurts when I kick the ball. I expect I can play the Betis game next Sunday.

-Do you think these recent injuries can affect your performance at the end of the season?
-I do not think so because I have felt very well over the past few weeks. It is true I have been suffering more injuries than expected, but I will get back into shape in two weeks. I used to play two games a week in England too.

-What is your opinion about the game against Real Sociedad?
-Madrid has done better games, that's obvious. But then, an away game is always a tough job and we were not lucky enough. They did not do well, but we are aware and we intend to fix it.

-Do you admit the performance of the team has come down, have you talked about that in the locker room?
-We do not discuss that very often, but we will if we do not improve our play. The last few games have been very disappointing, but we are still at the top with lots of chances.

-Is it understandable that, with such an offensive team, everybody keeps mentioning Casillas' job?
-He deserves it. Iker has been one of the best Real Madrid players this year, he deserves this and a lot more.

-The president said that the next signing will come from the English league. Who would you choose?
-That signing would not change Real much, because we are very strong now, we are one of the greatest teams in the world and all the great teams usually want to hire the best players. It was the same with Manchester. I do not know who this player will be, but whoever it is, the team and fans will wellcome him. There is one thing for sure, Real Madrid has the necessary appeal to hire any footballer.

-This week the issue has been Ronaldo's trip to London. Do you have to ask the Club for permission too?
-I always let the club know when I travel to England, but I always do it in my time out. Ronaldo went to shoot a commercial. Rumours are very quick to spread every time something like this happens, so it looks like it has had a wider impact.

-Do you understand why the name of Abramovic causes fear?
-I do not know if he causes fear, but he defenitely has lots of money. He has brought some amazing footballers into Chelsea. There's a special feeling about that team, but we are not afraid. This is Real Madrid.

-Ever since you have lived in Madrid, has it become more difficult for you to hide your private life from certain British media?
-My life has not changed much because the English press has always been very interested in my private life. They say a lot of unfair things, but it's always been like this.

-David, there is a very important meeting of the English Footbal Federation tomorrow, are you attending it?
-I cannot attend it but I will keep in contact with those players that will be there. I know there will be a lot of important issues discussed.

-Your job as captain of England, has it become more difficult since you have lived in Madrid?
-No, it has not. When I signed for Real, I spoke to the national coach and he told me there would not be any problem if I had to play in another country

Forr�s: www.realmadrid.com