De La Red: Sanctions Will Not Affect This Saturday

Atlético Madrid vs Real Madrid is one of the biggest matches in the La Liga calendar and yet it has been overshadowed this week by the stadium ban handed to Los Rojiblancos in the Champions League.

Even now, with the match just a few days away, the derby is playing second fiddle to the sanctions and has been put to one side. However, whilst the press focus on that the players are still concentrated on the match and Real Madrid midfielder Rubén De La Red says he does not think the news will affect it.

"In the Calderón there will be the same atmosphere as there is for any derby," he declared, "It is not going to be worse because of the problem with UEFA."

"It is two different competitions. They may be thinking about what is going to happen with the pitch but I believe they will be focused against Madrid because it is a more important game than the next," mused De La Red.

The sanctions pile the misery on Atlético Madrid afetr getting thrashed by Barcelona and they will no doubt be desperate to atone here and bounce back strongly. De La Red has played in the Calderón before with Getafe, but he accepts that this time is likley to be very different with Real Madrid.

"It is going to be very different because the fans are not going to make things easy. It is going to be an especially exciting game with the rivalry that makes a derby," he said.

It is not yet known if De La Red will start the match with Guti and Mahamadou Diarra both fighting to be fit for the match, but he says he is willing to play anywhere the manager wants him.

"It is all the same to me, what I want is to play, it does not matter if it is attacking midfielder or defensive. I have played in those positions many games so I can do it," he concluded.


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