"Avoid this nightmare": Real Madrid official warns his players after the terrifying Champions League draw

Emilio Butragueño dropped the optimism after the Champions League draw. Real Madrid's director of institutional relations emerged with a clear and frank warning once the Monaco draw had placed Los Blancos on a path riddled with giants.

His message was direct: enough suffering, no repeat of the last two seasons, and one objective only, to escape the trap of the first knockout round.

The draw handed the Madrid side a set of fiery fixtures. Los Blancos come up against seven heavyweight opponents in Inter Milan, Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, Roma, Leipzig, LASK and AEK Athens.

Speaking to "Movistar", Butragueño said: "This competition is extremely difficult; all the matches are evenly balanced and close in level, we must have the right mentality."

The Real legend aimed his warning at the players and the coaching staff. The first objective, he stressed, is to avoid the scenario that has repeated over the last two seasons: elimination in the quarter-finals, against Bayern last season and against Arsenal in 2024-2025.

"We will do our utmost to qualify directly for the round of sixteen and avoid the first knockout round, we will take part with great enthusiasm, we approach this competition with the same familiar enthusiasm," he added.

His concern is well founded. Since the new format arrived two seasons ago, Real Madrid have failed to qualify directly for the round of sixteen and have been forced into the round of 32 play-off twice. They laboured past Manchester City in 2024/2025, and last season they edged out Benfica under José Mourinho to get through.

CAF will announce the full schedule of the league phase fixtures in the Champions League next Saturday, 29 August.