Published: Wednesday, 9th June, 2010 5:00pm

Jose looks set to quash friendly with Athlone Town

by Kevin O'Neill

ATHLONE TOWN FC's hopes of bringing superstars Real Madrid to Lissywoollen for a friendly match in August appear to be fading fast.

The club had been in detailed discussions with Dublin-based sports management agency Platinum One - who brought the Spanish giants to Ireland last summer for a training camp at the luxurious Carlton House in Maynooth and a friendly against Shamrock Rovers - and hopes were high that an agreement could be reached for the nine-time European Cup champions to play Athlone on Monday, August 9.

However, the appointment of former Chelsea and Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho at the Santiago Bernabeu appears to have cooled Athlone's chances of playing against Madrid's mega-stars, with Mourinho now thought likely to take his new squad to America for a pre-season training camp.

The Portuguese manager has past form for taking teams to the States for training camps, having previously done so with both Chelsea and Inter Milan, the latter of whom he recently guided to the European Cup. Real Madrid have yet to officially confirm their pre-season schedule, while Athlone Town officials have this week refused to confirm or deny the game is in jeopardy, but sources close to the club are suggesting the match is close to being dead in the water.

Several Spanish newspapers have already reported that Madrid are most likely to spend the bulk of their pre-season preparations in America, while the so-called 'Galacticos have also confirmed a high-profile fixture against Bayern Munich in Germany on Friday, August 13. The news will come as a blow to Athlone Town supporters and players alike, who were anticipating the arrival at Lissywoollen of superstars of the ilk of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Mourinho himself.

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