Real's Calderon is unlikely to stand for re-election

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has said he will probably not stand for re-election when his four-year mandate ends in 2010.

"From today's perspective, I don't think I will stand when I call the elections," Calderon said.

"This is a very attractive job but I am not interested in staying here for life."

The 57-year-old lawyer was speaking after the club said it would investigate allegations published in Marca newspaper on Tuesday that votes at the club's general assembly last month had been manipulated.

Real have won back-to-back Primera Liga titles but Calderon has still found himself criticised by fans and local media, often for his failed bids to bring in high-profile players.

In the Cadena Ser interview late on Tuesday, Calderon appealed to the media to stop publishing what he called lies.

"It's very difficult to go into work every day thinking about what you will read in the press. It doesn't help the team or the club," he said.

Calderon's woes have sparked speculation that former president Florentino Perez may be planning a comeback.

Perez resigned in 2006 after his six-year experiment in assembling a "galactico" superteam collapsed as the club headed for a third successive season without a major trophy, their worst run in more than 50 years.

Calderon has been unable to make good on a pledge to bring Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas and Milan's Brazilian playmaker Kaka to the club and his attempt to lure Man. United winger Cristiano Ronaldo also ended in failure.