Article: ROVER AND OUT? Pampered metrosexuals v soccer's plucky underdogs as Shamrock Rovers face Real. Maybe David can beat Goliath.(Sport)

Byline: by Deirdre Claffey

THERE was a time when only rock stars had riders -- a bowl of M& Ms with all the blue ones taken out, beer chilled to precisely 2.59C, a manicure for their guinea pig -- but not anymore. Such are the elaborate demands of Real Madrid, who take on local heroes Shamrock Rovers at Tallaght Stadium tonight, that they have earned themselves the accolade of soccer's new divas.

All their requirements for the trip were set out in needlepoint detail, with everything from the thickness of curtains (no sunlight permitted) to a pillow's feather count (soft but not too soft) painstakingly certified before the squad thought of boarding their ...

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