Futbol World- "WAR!"

WAR is an ugly thing. Real Madrid and Barcelona are at it again, and the season hasn't even started. What a tradition of hate. This time they are literally fighting over the DeBoer brothers of Ajax. Actualy this is now a three-way (at least) tug of war between the 2 Spanish giants and Ajax. The deal is that Ajax does NOT want to let the brothers go, as they are desperately important in the club's Champions' League campaign for the 98-99 season. As a result, the agents and the brothers, Frank (D) and Ronald (M) are going to the federation court in Holland to escape the contracts that are keeping them from the big time. Now, Barcelona coach Luis Van Gaal wants to bring every Dutch player on earth over to Camp Nou, but for the moment he wants the Frank DeBoer more than life itself. Not only does Ajax not want to release him, but Madrid stepped in a couple of days ago and announced that they too were negotiating the transfers of BOTH of the twins. New coach Guus Hiddink, coach for the Dutch in WC98, wants the brothers to reinforce the team. Van Gaal was completely shocked to hear this. Both teams are still fighting to sign their men. From one point of view, Real sems to be meddling with the Frank DeBoer transfer because they really do not need another central defender. Many believe that they are trying to raise Barcelona's paying price. Hiddink does however want Ronald to replace Seedorf in the midfield. Seedorf does not get along with Hiddink because he did not start him enough in the WC. Barcelona really needs only Frank on the defense--Van Gaal's D Winston Bogarde has a broken leg, not to mention that he is also pretty bad defender when he is healthy as well. Ronald would be an excess on the team, as the midfield is already amazing (Luis Enrique, Figo, Rivaldo, etc...). The only one who seems to have it clear is Frank, who said he'd love to go to Barcelona, and he'd love to see his brother in Madrid.

Either way it is looked at, this is the struggle between great enemies, perhaps the greatest rivalry in football history. It now all depends on whether or not the Dutch football federation will allow either of the brothers, who are signed until 2004, to leave. The facts: Ronald and Frank have both sworn that they will not play next season for Ajax. Ajax has sworn that they will not play anywhere else next season. Could this be the latest trend in football this summer? Drawn-out, backstabbing negotiations? Read about Jarni's story, Thuram's, all in the latest word. I

t is in a way sad that the Dutch are turning on each other. Ajax, Ronald, Frank, Luis, Guus, can't we Dutchmen all just get along? Joaquin Bueno