Frustrated McManaman admits to doubts over Real future

Steve McManaman has reiterated his desire to remain at Real Madrid but admitted he is getting frustrated at his lack of first-team opportunities.

The former Liverpool midfielder is not a first choice for Real but he admits life in Spain is still preferable to a return to the Premiership.

He said: "To play more games would be ideal but if I don't play between now and the end of the season then I will think about leaving. Right now I am happy. I prefer Spanish football to the English game but I've got a lot of friends there and I speak with them on a daily basis. I will have to see what happens in the next five months."

Having decided to wait until the end of the season before making a decision on his future, McManaman is now concentrating on helping Real's challenge for honours on two fronts: La Liga and the Champions' League.

"Real Madrid are doing well so I am happy. Perhaps the only negative thing is that I am not playing much," he said.

"It is difficult to play in this team but the important thing is that we are second in the league and we are playing good football.

"The Champions' League competition is here and we must improve. We have only achieved one point in a competition in which we have had no problems in the past.

"It would be a disappointment not to qualify for the quarter-finals. The two matches against Borussia Dortmund are very difficult but very important for our future. We need those points."

McManaman, who celebrated his 31st birthday on Tuesday, joined Real from Liverpool in 1999 and was a regular in his first season, scoring a memorable goal in the Champions' League final win over Valencia.

He played less often in the following two seasons but still played a significant part in winning the Spanish league in 2001 and the Champions' League again last year, although he missed out on a place in the England squad for the World Cup.

This season he has started just a couple of Spanish league games and has even been left out of the squad on occasions, but this is the first time he has expressed doubts about seeing out his contract, which runs to the end of the 2003-04 season.

Meanwhile, Spain's Football Federation was facing further upheaval yesterday after the three members of its disciplinary committee resigned in protest at alleged interference in its decision-making process. The committee members, who together decide on suspensions and other disciplinary matters in the Spanish league, presented their resignation to the Federation's president, Angel Maria Villar, late on Tuesday.

"Events over the last few weeks have revealed a loss of confidence and signs of interference," the committee president, Fernando Sequeira, said.

The unexpected move from Sequeira and his colleagues Argimiro Vazquez and Juan Zornoza came less than two weeks after the sacking of the Federation's general secretary Gerardo Gonzalez.

Villar is due to explain the decision to relieve Gonzalez of his post at a Federation board meeting in Madrid tomorrow. Villar has already appointed a new committee in place of the three who resigned on Tuesday.

One of its first duties will be to decide on a possible sanction for the Athletic Bilbao midfielder, Carlos Gurpegi, who is still playing for his club despite being informed of a positive test for the banned steroid nandrolone earlier in the season.