Real Madrid Women played last night at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano in the Champions League Quarterfinals. It was the first leg against Arsenal.
Toril's players won with a hopeful 2-0 and have the doors open to a historic milestone for the club: reaching the semifinal.
The match took place in a hellish setting. The rain turned the field into an unplayable quagmire, and in England, the criticism has been relentless against Real Madrid.
"Real Madrid Disrespects Women's Soccer"
Former footballer Ian Wright, an Arsenal legend, was very critical of the muddy field at Valdebebas. "It's a fucking disgrace that these girls have to play on these fields," he said.
He added: "Real Madrid's field in a Champions League quarterfinal is worse than Pride Park's."
Tom Garry, from 'The Guardian,' went further on Twitter with very harsh criticism toward Real Madrid.
"Real Madrid has disrespected both teams of players, and all of women's soccer. They did so by allowing the conditions of that field for a European quarterfinal match."
Arsenal's coach, Renée Slegers, issued a warning to Real Madrid: "thenext step for women's soccer is to have better fields."
She bit her lip when asked if the match should have been played at Bernabéu: "it's not my place to criticize. It's a club decision, and I'm sure UEFA is trying to create the best conditions for the tournament."
Real Madrid's Image Is Tarnished
Real Madrid's image has been tarnished worldwide. It already happened with Florentino Pérez's decision to veto the plane for 50 people to the Ballon d'Or gala if they didn't give the award to Vinícius.
The club's image hasn't fared well either with its policy of harassing referees through its TV and with statements.
Women's soccer is a subject Florentino Pérez has yet to pass. 18 clásicos, 18 defeats, and 0 titles in five years.
Real Madrid's record is not what its president expects from a team formed with a checkbook. In recent days, it emerged that the white president has told his footballers that they won't play at Bernabéu until they win a title.
The "Best Stadium" in the World Is Not for Women
Yesterday highlighted the little interest Real Madrid shows to its girls.The greats of European soccer, Barça, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City... use their men's team stadiums to play the Champions League knockout rounds.
HIGHLIGHTS | Real Madrid CF vs. Arsenal FC -- UEFA Women's Champions League 2024-25
The return leg of Real Madrid-Arsenal will be played at Fly Emirates. Meanwhile, Barça twice broke the attendance record for women's soccer at Camp Nou, setting it at 91,648 against Wolfsburg.
Real Madrid Women have never played at Bernabéu, that stadium conceived by Florentino Pérez to be the best in the world.Real Madrid has it, but their girls don't. Bernabéu is closer to the great music artists than to its own female athletes.
Florentino Pérez boasts of a retractable roof. Real Madrid Women's girls don't. Maybe because they aren't up to Bernabéu's standards.
European women's soccer is talking about nothing else today. A lot of stadium to play on an unplayable quagmire.