Letter from Madrid ahead of Arsenal's Champions League clash at the mighty Bernabeu
Hola from the Spanish capital where there is a strange air of expectation rather than hope from Real Madrid fans and remontada (comeback) is the word of the week...
Hola from Madrid,
It’s Wednesday afternoon, and I have to say I’ve had a decidedly pleasant 48 hours here in the Spanish capital.
I’ve just popped back to my hotel room to pick up my laptop (it’s nice not to be glued to the contraption continuously) after a wonderfully convivial long and leisurely tapas lunch with old Arsenal mates, here in the centre of Madrid.
When you’ve done more than 30 years of European trips, it’s quite nice to simply sample the culture, rather than peak too early after three days in an Irish pub singing about 11 Perry Groves or some such (not that it isn’t fun because I’ve done plenty of that in my time).
However, in somewhere as glorious as Madrid, where every shopfront beckons an adventure, culinary, or otherwise, sometimes it’s nice to simply catch up with old friends, chew the fat and enjoy the incredible food, at prices that would put the majority of central London restaurants to shame.
We even chanced on an old style city centre bar that acted as the focal point for its community, with locals coming and going, with parents popping in with their kids, while the barman discussing what he could cook for the evening’s menu (along with a great big bag of chicken on the bar). Yes the bar was down at heel, but that’s what gave it its character. The beers there came after a visit to a bar hidden deep inside a locals market.
Note, it wasn’t the magnificent San Miguel market and its beguiling brown wrought iron metalwork, that was about to be demolished when I came here for Theirry Henry’s majestic winner in the Bernabeu back in 2006. Luckily the locals rallied and somehow managed to save the market, which in the years since has thrived, and is now a must-visit. Think Lisbon’s Time Out market.
No, our market, while containing a wealth of gloriously independent food traders including fish, cheese, wine, churros and wine, was simply a stop for working class Madridistas, on the road to their nightly dinner. Which not only made it fascinating but utterly authentic.
Speaking of dinner, can I just say here and now I absolutely love tapas. So much so that I ordered a table full of it last night after covering Mikel Arteta’s pre-match press conference at the cavernous Bernabeu media theatre. And of course, we had some more this afternoon.
The fact is European away trips are meant to be savoured, and none more than a trip to the biggest club side in the world.
There is a strange sense of expectation rather than mere hope among Real Madrid fans and journalists I talked to and observed.
Whether it be Real Madrid TV in my hotel room relentlessly screening and rescreening previous triumphs against English sides over the years, or the Marca newspaper being rather full of itself, not to mention a tad too self congratulatory with the below
Or even. simply the fact that everywhere you go, locals are talking about a remontada.
Which means comeback in Spanish, with many seasoned observers of the La Liga giants predicting a sensational Bernabeu turnaround. You may have even seen Jude Bellingham speak about it yesterday.
Taking about pre-match conferences, it was also instructive to note that the local Spanish journalists attempted to put David Raya on the backfoot during Tuesday evening’s presser in the bowels of the Bernabeu (see tweet below)
Even if Mikel Arteta was wonderfully urbane and articulate in English and of course Spanish during his presser. Essentially saying that Arsenal have to be “bold and brave.”
So, with the biggest match of Arsenal’s season approaching in a matter of hours, there’s not much else to say, but come on you Gunners, stay strong, show character, courage and cojones (to paraphrase Carlo Ancelotti) and let’s get through to the last four.
I’ve covered all 50 of Arsenal’s matches this season - let’s hope tonight becomes the most memorable by knocking out the mighty Real Madrid.
The other reason I’ve headed back to my hotel room? To change into my lucky Arsenal pants and socks. Well, why not when we’re faced with such (misplaced?) Madrid optimism….
See on the other side….come on you Gunners
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Madrid timeline….
