Bernd Schuster admits Michael Ballack's wage demands
scuppered Real Madrid's bid to sign the Chelsea star - but says the
"door is not closed".
Schuster said that if the Madrid giants could have met Ballack's
Chelsea salary, the Germany captain would have been their
player.
But the Bernabeu coach admits Real did not have the wage structure
to lure the classy midfielder to Spain.
"Ballack has an excellent contract with Chelsea that would bust
Real's salary structure," the Madrid coach told German magazine
Kicker.
"No player here is in that range and we didn't want to go
there."
Ballack has been out of the Chelsea side since April with an injury
and has been dropped from their Champions League squad, prompting
rumours of a Stamford Bridge exit.
And Schuster admits that a January move for the German could be
possible if the two parties can agree on finances.
"The door for Michael is not closed," he said. "He has his soccer
qualities and they will be there in six months as well. But it
would be a financial story."