A sign that might force Sneijder to accept that he has to leave Madrid and move on to Milan, he was left out of the final pre-season match against Rosberg for the Santiago Bernebeau Trophy.

Sneijder has often insisted that he does not want to leave Madrid and will fight for a place among the high profile signings and the existing Guti and the Diarras. The Madrid midfield might look like Heathrow airport if coach Pellegrini employs a rotation policy, which however is highly unlikely.

In the tug of war between the player and the team, Sneijder has repeated his stance even after his exclusion. Speaking to Marca, he said, "I want to play for Real Madrid. The coach is counting on me and that is what motivates me. I will keep training like a proffessional so that the club sees that I want to stay". I think the whole world knows that you want to stay Wes.