Sporting Director Miguel Pardeza comments on the news around the Club prior to the team’s Champions League debut.

We all dream about the Champions League final at the Bernabeu.
We have to take that dream with caution. The road will be long and we must control the euphoria. The team is motivated. This is a special campaign because of the effort made to sign the best players and because of the final’s venue.

Barcelona are favourites to win the competition and Real Madrid come second in sporting bets.
Barcelona have earned that right because they are the reigning champions. They had an amazing campaign last year winning the three titles. It’s logical that they are favourites. However, Real Madrid have an enviable history that backs up our current situation and we aspire to win the Champions League.

You talk about controlling euphoria. Are you worried about that?
We’re not worried, but sometimes expectancies can distort reality. People talk too easily about winning titles. I’m sure the team will do its best day after day and we’ll all help it to succeed. This is a sport and we need to take things easy. We hope everything will turn out well.

Real Madrid have been eliminated in the Last 16 in the past years. Has a remedy been found?
As Pellegrini said with a smile on his face, we’ll try to at least surpass that barrier. It’s not normal for a club like Real Madrid to be knocked-out in that same round so many consecutive years and I’m sure it won’t happen this time.

Are rotations the solution?
Rotations have many pros and cons. Having a fixed starting eleven is something of the past. Nowadays it’s paramount to use the whole squad. A player can win two or three games, but titles are won by a solid and compensated squad like ours. It’s vital that players feel they belong to a team.

Laporta has said that Valdano doesn’t know what Catalonia is like.
More than Valdano not understanding Catalonia, it’s Laporta who didn’t understand Valdano, who has been in Spain enough years to understand its political and social reality. He didn’t mean to offend anyone. He gave his opinion, which is as respectable as anyone else’s.

It seems like Barcelona are looking for a clash both on and off the pitch.
Real Madrid have millions of fans everywhere in the world, and we’re proud of it. Only our sporting values come into play when people value the Club in any way, and we are not interested in any political debates with Barcelona.

Has Laporta shown contempt towards Real Madrid?
I don’t know. Real Madrid has traditionally been Barcelona’s weak spot. Johann Cruyff, founder of modern Barcelona, never stopped appreciating Real Madrid values and the Club has always acknowledged Barcelona’s whenever they’ve showcased good football or won titles. It’s all part of the sporting spirit that any great club must have.