Not A Prima Donna After All?

I'll admit I was a little surprised by the following: Players back Beckham in Real row

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has held clear-the-air talks with his players in the wake of indiscreet comments he made about Davd Beckham.

Calderon called Beckham a "second-rate actor" after signing for LA Galaxy - and said the team was not civilised.

But skipper Raul has revealed: "We met the president to talk about everything that had happened. Calderon said sorry.

"It was a positive meeting in which certain rules were implemented so that this situation does not happen again."

Calderon made the comments in a speech to university students that was aired by Spanish radio station Cadena Cope.

He said the Real players "all think they are superstars" and the fans "don't support the team, like in Italy and England".

And he said of Beckham: "He will be an average cinema actor living in Hollywood."

But he later apologised, telling Real Madrid television: "I want to apologise a thousand times to anyone that might have been offended."

But Raul, 29, hinted that some players were not thoroughly satisfied after the meeting, which was held on Thursday.

"Everyone came out with a good feeling although some team-mates felt more upset than others." added Raul.

"We want the problems to be arranged internally, so that there are not different messages and everything that needs to be said to improve things is done so internally."

The meeting lasted 90 minutes and one player was quoted as saying: "Are you with us or against us? You'd have been better off saying what you said to our faces."

I grant you that Calderon sounds like an idiot. After he slams Beckham, the rest of the Real players AND all the Real fans who is gonna be left on his side? No one of course.

So that isn't the surprising part. What is surprising, to me at least, are the other Real players sticking up for Beckham. I sort of went along with the general British press reading of Beckham, that he was a talented, soft prima donna who was much more interested in the well being of David Beckham than in his team mates.

However, if that were true why then would they back him up now?