The host paused, then tapped the desk once with his pen, as if to re-centre the room.
"And yet, there's no time to dwell. Because Arsenal's next match?" He looked directly into the camera.
"Isn't against a team from Merseyside. It's against Real Madrid. At the Emirates. Quarter-final. Champions League first leg with everything on the line because if they don't get something at the Emirates, it will be very hard for them to go and take something from the Bernabeu."
Valdebebas – Real Madrid Training Complex
The quiet hum of the air conditioning was the only sound inside the video analysis room at Valdebebas.
The chairs were filled, white polos and grey tracksuits scattered across the rows like soldiers awaiting a war briefing.
A few players whispered among themselves, the soft shuffling of trainers and slides against the floor hinting at nerves, or worse — boredom.
Then the door opened.
Carlo Ancelotti walked in, slower than usual.
