Becks to Snub Real Pleas

David Beckham will ignore Ramón Calderón's last-ditch attempt to persuade him not to leave for Major League Soccer in the United States when his Bernabéu career comes to an end next Sunday. The Real Madrid president claimed last night that a clause in Beckham's contract allows him to back out of his move to Los Angeles Galaxy and that he would do all he could to keep him in Madrid, but that clause is understood not to exist and Calderón's pleas will fail.

"We have to sit down with him, his representatives and [Real Madrid's sporting director Predrag] Mijatovic, have a look at that clause, and decide among all of us, but I would love it if he stayed at the club. I was angry after he announced prematurely that he was leaving, but now we're going to make all the effort we can for him to stay," Calderón said.

Calderón will seek an urgent meeting with the former England captain's camp this week but his approach will be rejected. Beckham's plans for the United States are too far advanced. Beckham's spokesman said: "There is no intention of getting out of the Galaxy contract. David is looking forward to going to LA, but he wants to end his career at Real Madrid on a high note first."