His initial reaction was blunt, reflecting fatigue with the constant speculation surrounding the matter. Responding to the question, Capello said, "What do you want me to say?" The Italian coach then shifted the focus away from Barcelona and towards his own experiences during his time at Real Madrid, framing the conversation through the lens of sporting achievement under pressure. "They tried to stop us, but they didn't succeed. They couldn't do it."
Madrid president Florentino Perez used his Christmas address to draw attention to the Negreira case, the refereeing corruption charge against Barcelona. Perez referred to it as the "biggest scandal in the history of football" and called for the Blaugrana to be punished, which is the opposite of the 2024 address in which he claimed Madrid and Barcelona needed to stick together.
As you well know, the extremely serious situation that occurred with the 'Negreira case' for almost two decades deserves justice. It is completely incomprehensible that the institutions have left Real Madrid alone in this fight,