Gulf woman offers $2m for Real Madrid team to visit her

A Kuwaiti businesswoman has offered nearly two million dollars for Spain’s Real Madrid football players to visit her home and have photographs taken with her family, according to the local media.

One website said the offer was turned down by the players, who are visiting the oil-rich Gulf country for a friendly match with their national team.

"The businesswoman offered KD500,000 ($2 million) for the Real players to visit her home and have some photographs taken with her children and grandchildren,” the Saudi Ajel newspaper said, quoting a report on some regional satellite TV channels and social networks.

"But it is believed that the Club’s management has turned down the offer on the grounds the player’s timetable does not involve doing such things, which do not serve the interests of the club.”

Mourinho raises prospect of Kaka leaving Real

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has raised the prospect of underperforming Brazil playmaker Kaka leaving the Spanish champions in the close season.

The 2007 World Player of the Year joined Real from AC Milan for a fee of around 65 million euros ($84.14 million) three years ago but has mainly played second fiddle to German international Mesut Ozil this term.

The 30-year-old has shown flashes of brilliance but had a miserable end to his Champions League campaign last month when he had a penalty saved in the semi-final shootout against Bayern Munich as Real crashed out to the Bundesliga side.

"I cannot even guarantee that I will be here," Mourinho told a news conference when asked about Kaka, who has been linked in the media with a move to Paris St Germain, the Ligue 1 club coached by his former boss at Milan Carlo Ancelotti.

"I am grateful to all the players for their contribution," Mourinho added.

"He (Kaka) has played very good matches, others less good and others in which neither he nor I have come away satisfied.

"They have all participated in the league title and my way of thanking them is that all are welcome next season.

"But if one thinks that it is better not to stay and he is more interested in another project we will look at it.

"They also make their decisions and we will listen to those that have something else in their heads."

However, Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo on Friday dismissed reports that his club have made contact with Real Madrid pair Kaka and Gonzalo Higuain over moves to the French capital.

Reports in the French media have suggested that PSG president Nasser Al Khelaifi has sounded out both players about transfers to the ambitious Ligue 1 side, but Leonardo told AFP that was not the case.

"Nasser has never met either Kaka or Higuain," he said.

"It's been written as a fact, but Nasser has never met Kaka or Higuain."

He went on: "Someone else from the club? Never. There is a respect over players between great clubs."

Despite his insistence, Leonardo did admit that Argentine striker Higuain - who has lost his place in Madrid's starting XI to Karim Benzema - had a profile that interested PSG.

"Today, we're in talks," he said. "Not just with him, but in the global market. We can talk to 15,000 players and do nothing, but at least we've been involved.

"But if Real Madrid decide not to sell, he won't even be on the market. He has a (release) clause of 150 million euros ($194m). What do we do? Pay that?"

PSG's owners, Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), have already spent over 100m euros on new players since acquiring the club a year ago but Leonardo refused to be drawn on potential transfer targets for this summer.

"We live by results," he said. "We have a strong owner, who wants to do things. But third, second or first in the league, that changes a lot.

"It's not yet time to go into detail. The market opens on June 13. That's when the truth begins.

"What we can say is that PSG need to make a qualitative leap, including on the sporting front. Which means that this summer's transfer market won't be the same as the one in three years' time."

PSG trail leaders Montpellier by three points with two Ligue 1 games remaining.

They are two points above third-placed Lille and must finish in the top two to be certain of a place in next season's Champions League group phase.
 

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