Florentino Perez makes stunning promise to Real Madrid players if they manage comeback vs Arsenal - Reports
According to SPORT, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has promised players extra incentives if they can defeat Arsenal in the Champions League quarterfinal second leg on Wednesday, April 16. Los Blancos face the Gunners at the Santiago Bernabeu this week with a place in the semifinals on the line.
The LaLiga champions are trailing 3-0 in the tie from the first leg at the Emirates and have an uphill battle on their hands. Real Madrid were undone by two Declan Rice free kicks and a Mikel Merino strike last week, with Arsenal securing a historic win at home.
Los Blancos arrive at this week's game buoyed by their hard-fought 1-0 win over Alaves in LaLiga over the weekend. The LaLiga giants will need to be at their best to overturn a three-goal deficit, but with the home crowd egging them on, they cannot be written off just yet.
Perez rewarded the players following their Round of 16 win over bitter rivals Atletico Madrid. He now hopes for a similar incentive to charge his players on Wednesday against Arsenal.
The Real Madrid president apparently went into the dressing room to address the squad following the win over Alaves over the weekend. Interestingly, according to Opta Analyst, the LaLiga champions have a mere eight percent chance of reaching the semifinals. Los Blancos will have to score four goals to advance, and have done so on eight occasions this season.
What has Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham said about securing a comeback against Arsenal?
Jude Bellingham has suggested that Real Madrid are preparing for a remontada against Arsenal on Wednesday. Los Blancos last managed to overcome a three-goal deficit in Europe in the 1975/76 season. They lost 4-1 to Derby County in the Round of 16 first leg, but won 5-1 at home to secure a 6-5 aggregate win.
Cited by The BBC, Bellingham said that his team is preparing for a special night.
"I've heard it a million times since last week, I've seen a million videos - it's really motivating stuff. It's a night that's made for Real Madrid. A night that would go down in history but also something that people are familiar with around this part of this world. Hopefully we can add another special night," said Bellingham.
Interestingly, Arsenal haven't conceded three goals in a single game in over a year and have one of the meanest defenses in Europe.