Real Madrid to sue doctor over debt claim

Real Madrid are planning to sue Eufemiano Fuentes, the Spanish doctor at the centre of a blood doping scandal who claims the Spanish football giants owe him money.

In a statement released late Friday the club stated: "Facing the attempt by Fuentes to mislead, clearly with bad intention, public opinion regarding the nature of his relationship with the club Real Madrid are going to take immediate legal action against Fuentes."

Fuentes is currently on trial in Madrid on charges of endangering public health by performing blood transfusions on a number of high-profile cyclists.

On Friday, as the penultimate day of his trial closed, he told waiting journalists that he was looking for money owed to him by the nine-time European champions.

"I am interested in receiving the debt Real Madrid have with me and is nearly due to be paid," he told National Spanish Radio.

Fuentes' lawyer Tomas Valdivielso added that "Real Madrid have a debt with Eufemiano Fuentes from 2007, 2008 or 2009, I don't remember which."

Real claim that if any debt existed, it had nothing to do with Fuentes providing any medical service to their players, but instead related to his role as a witness for Real in a court case the club took against French newspaper Le Monde in 2006.

Real explained: "In the action brought by Real Madrid against Le Monde, the club did ask Fuentes to act as a witness...against the false information published by the paper suggesting a contract existed between Fuentes and the club to treat players.

"He has always denied that he had any relation with the club."

The 2006 court case ruled in favour of the club because Fuentes was the source of the story who it found to be of "dubious credibility" with Le Monde ordered to pay 300,000 euros damages to Real Madrid.

Real's statement concluded by revealing that they had recently received a bill for expenses from Fuentes' lawyer, Tomas Valdivielso - the matter is due to be settled by a tribunal.