Real Madrid Institutional Relationships Director Emilio Butragueno has stated Schalke 04 will be a tricky rival for Los Blancos in the Last 16 round of the Champions League.
The former Los Blancos striker represented the club at the UEFA Champions League draw in Nyon, and he attended the media after the event.
“We’ve always struggled against German teams, so we’ll have to be careful,” he told Spanish TV channel Canal+.
In a reference to Real Madrid legend Raul Gonzalez past in the German club, Butragueno said “we could surely call him for some advice, but I’m sure our technical staff will prepare the match pretty well.”
The first leg will be played in February, and Butragueno believes “the team will improve” after showing a worse game last weekend against Osasuna.
“I’ve seen them get better every game, but it is true that in Pamplona everything turned against us,” he concluded.
This will be the first time Schalke 04 and Real Madrid meet in the Champions League. Los Blancos have played in Germany 25 times, earning only one victory. It was in the 2000-2001 season, against Bayer Leverkusen.
The last two years Los Merengues have been knocked-out in the semifinals of the Champions League by a German side: Bayern Munich in 2012 and Borussia Dortmund last season.
