Real Madrid rescinded the contract of veteran defender Michel Salgado on Tuesday.

The decision to pay off the remaining year of the 33-year-old'scontract ends Salgado's 10-year-spell with the club.

Salgado joined Real Madrid from Celta Vigo in 1999 and made over 300 Primera Liga appearances winning four league titles and the Champions League on two occasions.

He is the fifth player to abandon the club this summer. Youngsters Javi Garcia and Dani Parejo have gone to Benfica and Getafe, while Javier Saviola has also joined Benfica and Gabriel Heinze was given a free transfer to Olympique Marseilles.

The club still wants to sell Dutch quintet of Wesley Sneijder, Rafael Van der Vaart, Royston Drenthe, Arjen Robben, Rood van Nistelrooy and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar before the season begins.

(Xinhua News Agency August 5, 2009)