For miners stuck underground - encouragement from Madrid "Real" stars (PHOTO) © EuroFootball.com

Madridthe club sent shirts signed by the team's stars to the Chilean miners stranded underground.

The shirts in the colors of the Spanish vice champions are emblazoned with the inscription: "be strong miners." Also included is a photo album of the "Real" team.

"The fact that a country like Spain is following the lives of these men means a lot to us," said Chilean Minister of Mining Laurence Golborne. "I hope the men can enjoy these gifts."

33 men, whose numbers are marked on all the shirts, have been trapped underground since the beginning of August. Rescuers, who are digging a new tunnel towards the unfortunate ones, hope to free them only by the second half of November.

Earlier, forward David Villa of the "Barcelona" club sent two shirts to the Chileans.