Luis Figo said he doesn't mind which position he plays
Real Madrid midfielder Luis Figo said he doesn't mind which position he plays, as media reported Monday that he will be shifted to the left to accommodate David Beckham in the star-studded lineup.
"I'll have to adapt to the position the coach wants. There's no problem," Figo was quoted as saying by Spanish news agency Efe.
Coach Carlos Queiroz gave a hint of Madrid's lineup next season during Monday's training session at the team's base of Kunming, China by selecting Beckham for Figo's customary right-wing role, and moving the Portuguese to the left.
"I don't know what position I'll play in," Figo said. "If I play on the left it will be because I have to adapt to the team's needs. The position isn't strange because I have played on the left with Portugal. What's important is the team."
Beckham's arrival from Manchester United for ?35 million (US$40 million) last month cast doubt over the future of Figo, who has played for Madrid in the same position as the England captain.
Beckham, one of the best crossers of a soccer ball in the world, made his name at United as a right-sided midfielder providing fodder for the team's strikers.
Queiroz, who replaced Vicente del Bosque last month, has the advantage of knowing Figo and Beckham well. Queiroz spent last year with Beckham as United's assistant coach, and discovered Figo when the midfielder was a teenager in Portugal.
The first match of Madrid's 18-day tour is on Aug. 2 against the Dragon Team in Beijing, where Beckham is expected to make his much-anticipated debut in the No. 23 shirt.
Madrid then plays FC Tokyo in Tokyo on Aug. 5 before facing China three days later in Hong Kong. Its final game is on Aug. 10 when it meets Thailand in Bangkok.
|
Linear Mode
