Spanish Roundup

Perez pledges to maintain Real's open door to world's best players

MADRID (Reuters) -- Real Madrid chief Florentino Perez says that after his landslide victory in Sunday's presidential election he is now aiming to recruit one of the world's top players to join the club before next season.

"This business works by winning trophies and by signing a 'galactico' each season," Perez was quoted as saying by Spanish sports daily AS on Tuesday. "I am going to continue the policy of bringing one in every year.

"The result of the election obliges me to do this more than ever. We have to construct a competitive team."

The Spanish sporting media have reported that English striker Wayne Rooney, Dutch center-forward Ruud van Nistelrooy, Italy's Francesco Totti and French internationals Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry are all on Real's target list.

Perez, who won over 90 percent of the votes of club members in Sunday's election, declined to reveal the names of the potential new recruits but said that he was not put off by clubs who said their players were not up for transfer.

"There are no players that are not for sale," he said. "The only problem is the money."

Real have made just one signing since they ended last season without a major trophy for the first time in five years, buying Argentine centre back Walter Samuel from AS Roma for €25 million.

The club has also been negotiating with Porto with a view to signing central defender Ricardo Carvalho and midfielder Costinha and they have been in talks with Real Sociedad over Spanish international Xabi Alonso.

Perez was scheduled to meet coach Jose Antonio Camacho on Tuesday to discuss the players they would like to recruit before the start of next season.

Real right back Michel Salgado said that he thought that constructing an effective team should take priority over recruiting more big-name players.

"It is much better to have a balanced team rather than a glamorous one and I said that last season before we lost all the trophies," the Spanish international told a news conference at Real's training ground on Tuesday.

"This team has a winning mentality and with a few minor additions we will win things again this season."

Brazil's Denilson injured

SEVILLE, Spain (AP) -- Brazil forward Denilson will undergo surgery on his right knee cartilage and will miss the start of the Spanish league season, news reports said Tuesday.

Denilson, who missed part of the 2002-03 season with a similar injury, is expected to be sidelined for 2 1/2 months. The Spanish season begins at the end of August.

"I have taken the decision to have an operation and do it now when I have time instead of forcing it and having to do it later," Denilson was quoted as saying by the Web site of the leading sports daily Marca.

The left winger was found to be injured when he underwent a routine medical Tuesday as Betis players returned from vacation.

"It affects our plans quite a lot but we have to be brave and get over this. There's sure to be a teammate who'll be keen to take over his position," Betis' recently appointed coach Llorenc Serra Ferrer said.

Denilson joined Betis from Sao Paulo in 1998. The 27-year-old was a member of the Brazilian squad that won a record fifth World Cup in 2002.

Betis, which announced Tuesday the signing of defender Paolo Castellini from Torino, finished ninth in the 20-team first division last season.

Sylvinho delighted by Barcelona move

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) -- Brazilian defender Sylvinho described his signing by FC Barcelona as a "gift from God" when he was presented to the media at the Camp Nou stadium on Tuesday.

Sylvinho, who has left Celta de Vigo to sign a two-year contract with the Catalan club, said it was "a very great honor to be a Barcelona player."

"Wearing this shirt is very important for any player. It's a very important day and I've come here with the idea of making a success of it," the defender was quoted as saying by agency Europa Press.

Sylvinho, who is the fifth new player to join Barcelona this summer, said he had fulfilled two aims by moving.

"I wanted to play again for a team competing in the Champions League and give myself a chance of returning to the national team. It's a gift from God to sign for Barcelona," the speedy left back said.

Barcelona has reportedly paid Celta euro1.25 million ($1.54 million) for Sylvinho, taking its total spending for the summer to an estimated $24.25 million (US$29.9 million). The other newcomers are Portugal midfielder Deco, French midfielder Ludovic Giuly, Brazilian right back Juliano Belletti and Swedish striker Henrik Larsson.

Sylvinho, whose full name is Sylvio Mendes Campos, left Corinthians after winning two Brazilian leagues and a cup to join Arsenal in 1999 and then moved to Celta two years later.

The 30-year-old is one of a series of players offloaded by Celta after a dismal season in which it was relegated to the second division less than three months after being eliminated from the Champions League.

The terms of Sylvinho's contract state that he could be loaned to another club if he doesn't gain dual nationality quickly.

Clubs are only allowed three non-European Union players in their squads next season and Barcelona already has four -- Ronaldinho, Mexico's Rafael Marquez, Argentina's Javier Saviola and Turkey's Rustu Recber -- although goalkeeper Rustu is expected to be loaned to another club this summer.

"We hope the player gets an EU passport. But anyway, everything is covered in his contract," Barcelona technical secretary Aitor Begiristain said.

Sylvinho's arrival lifts the number of Brazilian-born players at Barcelona to five. The others are Deco, Belletti, Ronaldinho and Thiago Motta.

"Barcelona wants the best players, whether they are Brazilian, Catalan or French. It's a question of the market and quality, Brazil produces world champions," Begiristain said.

Barcelona, which hasn't won a major trophy for five years, will return to the Champions League next season after finishing runner-up in the Spanish league.

Castellini joins Betis on five-year deal

MADRID(Reuters) -- Italian defender Paolo Castellini has joined Real Betis from Torino on a five-year contract, the Primera Liga club said on Tuesday.

"He was a player I had asked for," said Betis coach Llorenc Serra Ferrer. "He is a good professional and we all knew that he was very keen to join us and that's why we chose him."

The 25-year-old left back, who played on loan at Serie A side Brescia last season, is the first player Betis have signed since the end of last season when they finished ninth in the Primera Liga.

Betis are also reported to be on the verge of reaching an agreement to sign Brazilian striker Ricardo Oliveira from Valencia.

The club received some bad news too on Tuesday when routine pre-season medical tests carried out on the squad showed that Brazilian international forward Denilson was still suffering from serious knee pain despite undergoing surgery earlier in the year to deal with the problem.

"It's a real set-back to our plans," said Serra Ferrer. "But we have to face up to it and there is certain to be another player who will be keen to take his place."

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