Real Madrid team bus attacked by Barcelona fans

Real Madrid's bus was attacked by FC Barcelona fans on Saturday before the two teams played an eagerly awaited Spanish league match, news reports said.

Photo: Real Madrid team bus attacked by Barcelona fans

A group of Barcelona fans hurled bottles, cans and stones and broke a window as the bus arrived at Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium about 90 minutes before kick-off, news agency Efe reported.

Barcelona would virtually clinch the league title if it beat second-place Madrid. With eight games remaining, the Catalan team has 68 points, while Madrid has 57, reports AP.

England captain David Beckham says that the constant upheavals at Real Madrid have not deterred him from his desire to finish his career at the club.

The midfielder has also denied that his future is dependent on the possible appointment of England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson as the Premira Liga club’s new coach.

"To be honest I want to sort my contract out anyway whether Eriksson comes or whether he doesn’t, whoever comes," said Beckham, who will turn 31 in May. "I've said I want to stay in Madrid and I want to stay playing here.”

Beckham, whose contract expires in 2007, said he was keen to thrash out a new deal with Real as soon as possible but recognised that the constant changes in personnel at the club made negotiations difficult.

"There will be a set of talks maybe in the next few weeks, but there have been changes at the club," he said, informs Malaysia Star.

O.Ch.