Beckham's red card for insulting a linesman -- in perfect Spanish -- during Real Madrid's 2-1 loss on Sunday to already relegated Murcia means he misses the last game of the season.

More importantly for Real Madrid, the team's fourth successive league defeat -- their worst run in their 102-year history -- gives arch-rivals Barcelona the advantage in the race to secure runners-up spot behind champions Valencia and an automatic berth in the Champions League group phase.

If Barcelona get a point from their last match, Real Madrid are almost certain to finish third, meaning they would have to play a Champions League qualifier in mid-August.

That could force them to cancel a lucrative tour of Asia and the United States that was expected to bring in as much as 30 million euros ($36 million) in revenue.

Monday brought the now traditional crop of newspaper headlines lamenting the spectacular late-season implosion of one of the most high-profile squads ever assembled.

The expensive team boasts "galacticos" such as Brazil's Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos, France's Zinedine Zidane, Spain's Raul and Portugal's Luis Figo as well as England captain Beckham.

"Goodbye Asia", sports daily As said over a front-page photo of a disconsolate Beckham trooping off the field.

"This Madrid is pure impotence", "Marca" mocked.

It was Beckham's second sending-off since joining Real Madrid and the fourth of his professional career.

Beckham's disappointing end to the season revived talk of his future, less than a year after he moved to Madrid from Manchester United for 35 million euros.

"Many see him (Beckham) out of the team, at Chelsea, next season, although (Real Madrid president Florentino) Perez wants to exploit his 'post-modern icon' commercially for another season," newspaper El Periodico said.

Real Madrid's season and Beckham's form have gone downhill since March when they lost the King's Cup final to unfancied Real Zaragoza, putting paid to their hopes of a league, cup and Champions League treble.

Then they were dumped out of the Champions League quarterfinals by Monaco and surrendered an eight-point lead at the top of the Primera Liga, handing the title to Valencia.

Beckham's private life became the stuff of media frenzy in April following newspaper allegations -- denied by the player -- that he had an affair with his former personal assistant.

In their last few league games, the shell-shocked team has looked mentally and physically exhausted.

Critics have not had to look far for the reasons for Real Madrid's demise. They found it in the team's policy of signing the world's biggest stars and filling the rest of the squad with former youth team players.

The season has shown that many of the youngsters are not ready to carry the team.

Beckham has been moved from his usual position on the right to play in central midfield for Real, a position that does not suit him according to Murcia coach John Toshack.

"I never understood why Madrid signed Beckham," Toshack was quoted as saying by El Pais newspaper.

"When he has the ball, he doesn't know how to play short and looks for the long ball. That doesn't work in Spain."