Report: Del Bosque plans public snub for Real boss Perez

By Duncan Shaw Oct 12, 2011, 10:20 GMT

Madrid - Spain coach Vicente del Bosque is planning to publicly snub Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, according to sports daily Marca on Wednesday.

The feud between Del Bosque and Perez, one of the most bitter and acrimonious in Spanish football, has divided Real Madrid fans for years, ever since Perez controversially decided not to keep Del Bosque on as Real's coach in 2003.

According to Marca, Del Bosque will not turn up to a ceremony on November 3 to receive the club's golden insignia from Perez, in a deliberate public snub to the controversial president.

Del Bosque was an elegant midfielder for Real from 1970 to 1984. He was then elevated from the club's youth sections to be first-team coach in 1999, and surprised practically everyone by leading the whites to two Champions Leagues, two Spanish Ligas and to the Club World Cup.

However, the only 'madridista' not satisfied with Del Bosque was Perez, who wanted a more high-profile, charismatic and media-friendly coach than the understated, taciturn Del Bosque could ever be.

So Perez bizarrely showed Del Bosque the door - but then failed to find a satisfactory replacement. Perez went through five coaches from 2003 to 2006, as his expensive 'Galactico' team degenerated into chaos and confusion.

In 2006 Perez abruptly resigned as club president, refusing to admit that he had erred in sacking Del Bosque. He returned to the presidency in 2009, with even more ambitious spending plans than before, but with no intention of taking back Del Bosque.

By then, Del Bosque had taken over from Luis Aragones as manager of Spain. He became a national hero in 2010 when he calmly guided La Roja to World Cup glory, receiving all manner of accolades - and even the title of marquis from King Juan Carlos.

Del Bosque has since become even more popular among Spaniards by leading Spain to the Euro 2012 finals with eight wins in eight games in qualifying Group I, culminating in a 3-1 exhibition against Scotland on Tuesday.

Opinion polls consistently show that Del Bosque is one of the most popular men in Spain, together with Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta - the man who scored the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final.

With his habitual reserve and respect, Del Bosque has consistently refused to criticize Perez in public or comment on their feud.

Perez has come under massive pressure from the Real fans to give Del Bosque some kind of public recognition for his services to the club and to Spain.

Therefore, at the club's annual general assembly in September, Perez announced - somewhat reluctantly, to judge by his body language - that Del Bosque will be awarded the club's coveted golden insignia at a public ceremony on November 3, together with tennis star Rafael Nadal and opera singer Placido Domingo, both of whom are high-profile Real fans.

However, Marca revealed on Wednesday that Del Bosque has no intention of turning up on November 3, in what has been interpreted as a calculated public snub to Perez.

According to Marca, Del Bosque has two motives for this refusal.

On the one hand, he is apparently annoyed that Toni Grande, Javier Minano and Francisco Jimenez - his assistants when coach of Real, and now for Spain - have not also been awarded the insignia.

And secondly, Marca claimed that he feels Perez has given him the insignia with reluctance, bowing to public pressure, rather than for positive reasons.

Radio Marca commented on Wednesday that Del Bosque's absence on November 3 - Nadal and Domingo are apparently planning to attend - will make his feud with Perez 'even more public and bitter.'

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