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Anelka suspended Real suspends French forward without pay for 45 days
Posted: Monday March 13, 2000 06:55 PM
ADRID, Spain (AP) -- Real Madrid directors suspended problematic French forward Nicolas Anelka for 45 days without pay Monday for skipping three straight practice sessions. The suspension by Real Madrid's management, after a meeting to discuss what punishment to mete out against the moody young Frenchman, was less severe than the three month suspension permitted under the team's bylaws, Real Madrid Vice-President Jaime Ussia said at a press conference Monday. Ussia said the team's directors unanimously voted for the punishment. When asked about whether Real Madrid could get rid of the international, he said: "it could be. But his exit from the club depends on everybody -- the player, his teammates and the directors. It's still early." Anelka, who returned to a solo practice Monday afternoon, will miss out on pay during the suspension that would have totaled 66 million pesetas (US$325,000). Anelka, 20, is unhappy with Real's playing style, saying it does not make good use of his talent. Since he joined the team last year in a US$35 million signing from Arsenal -- the most costly in Spanish soccer history -- Anelka has complained often about his position on the team, for which he has scored one goal in league play.
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