Rubbish team will strike, but English club could save the day

Fresh from a bizarre centre circle protest last week, relegated Levante are planning to ruin Real Madrid’s championship celebrations on Sunday. Players of the financially-troubled club, who are owed around 18million Euros in wages, are unapologetic about a plan to strike and spoil Real’s big day. Captain Luis Manuel Rubiales said:

“Madrid has fans all over Spain, including in our team, and we are the last ones to want to cause it [sic] trouble.”

Levante has not been training all week and are adamant they will not play the league game, which means Madrid will be awarded all three points. If they find themselves contractually obliged to show up for a friendly tie, however, the players also have a scheme to enrage the Bernabeu faithful: according to some Spanish reports, they will field seven players (the minimum required for a game to go ahead) and one player will ‘remove himself from play’, thus causing an abandoned match.

But fortunately, even a lack of opposition won’t quash the Spanish giants’ end of season party plans. Regardless of whether a league fixture takes place, Los Blancos will hold a trophy presentation at 10pm. Before this, they are planning to provide ‘alternative entertainment’. Some reports suggest that either FC Porto, Liverpool or Spurs will be flown in for an exhibition match.

So Real fans, what would you prefer: a lowly display from a desperately unhappy side, or a nice novelty pan-European celebratory tie?

[International Herald Tribune]