Morientes: Monaco my first choice
by Mark Kendall - Last Updated 19 Oct 2004
Fernando Morientes has declared that if he leaves Real Madrid then Monaco would be his favourite destination.
Despite reports linking him with a move to Liverpool in the winter transfer window, the Spanish international striker would choose Monte Carlo over Merseyside.
"If the possibility of me leaving Real Madrid came up then returning to Monaco would always be first choice," he confirmed.
"Everyone knows that I love Real Madrid and that I want to stay at this club for a long time.
"But if I had to leave then I would try to go back to Monaco.
"I felt that with Didier Deschamps good things would happen, that there was a little magic.
"I know that the door is always open for me at Monaco and maybe one day I will go back."
After spending a very successful year at Monaco on loan last season, Morientes returned to Madrid after he was promised first team football by coach Jose Antonio Camacho.
But the 28-year-old has found himself as fourth-choice striker after Camacho's resignation and the arrival of Michael Owen.
"I stayed here in the summer because Camacho had faith in me," he continued. "He is a coach that I know from the Spanish national team.
"I spoke to him and I knew that there were three forwards fighting for two places, but I believed I would play 80 or 90 minutes.
"But with the arrival of another striker everything became more difficult.
"I will decide about leaving Madrid when the time comes. But I chose to stay here and things would have to go very badly for anything to change that decision."
Looks like a stunner for Rafa - Cisse best hit that Hat-trick tonight, he's our main man !!

