Real Madrid Signs Argentine Ace, 7

Spanish club beats rivals to prodigy
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 9, 2011 4:02 AM CDT
Real Madrid Signs 7-Year-old Soccer Ace Leonel Coira
Seven -year-old Leonel Angel Coira shows the contract he signed with Real Madrid at the club's headquarters in Madrid, Spain.   (AP Photo/Coira Family)

Seven-year-old Argentinean soccer ace Leonel Coira has been snapped up by one of the sport's biggest clubs. The prodigy has been signed by Real Madrid and will start training with its youth team next month, AP reports. Team officials say they they made their move for the boy, whose father moved to Madrid a few years ago, to ward off attempts from rivals.

A team spokesman said players of any age could sign up with Real Madrid. "They only have to be a standout," he said. "We look for something different, that quality or talent that makes them stand out from the rest." The boy's signing isn't a record-breaker: Dutch team Venlose Voetbal Vereniging signed a largely symbolic contract with a talented 18-month-old earlier this year. Click here for that story. (More Leonel Coira stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X