The newspaper “Sport” reported that Real Madrid officials and players are furious over the Champions League Round of 16 draw.
The draw pitted the Royal Club against Manchester City, just days after Los Blancos overcame Benfica in the Round of 16 play-offs.
Over the last 12 years, Real Madrid and Manchester City have met 15 times in the Champions League. They faced each other last year in the Round of 16 play-offs, and before that in the quarter-finals and twice consecutively in the semi-finals.
There is a growing feeling within Real Madrid that the repeated encounters with Manchester City are not coincidental, but rather that the draw might be rigged. It seems illogical for this fixture to be repeated so frequently.
The desire within Real Madrid was to change this pattern and face a different team, even a top one. Following the draw, a sense of discontent prevailed in the Valdebebas dressing room.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had previously indicated that he hoped for a “change” and to face a different opponent than City, and it seems clear that this is the general opinion at the Santiago Bernabeu.
