Hamburg striker Ruud van Nistelrooy is gutted to have missed out on a move to Real Madrid.
The 34 year-old confirmed to AS he was willing to play for nothing - and pay half of any transfer fee - to see the move happen. But Hamburg insisted he honour his contract with them.
"I'm in a phase of my career where I could not imagine a move to Madrid would be possible. A bid for a four month contract to a player of 34 years of age? I tried everything.
"Everything! But in the end ..."
He added: "For the Hamburg fans, players and coach, I have nothing against them. Hamburg is the one who made this decision. The most important thing is that I remain a professional and a person of integrity."
