Since last year, when Real Madrid officially announced the seating arrangements for its Christmas dinner, the media and fans had noticed the significance behind them.
At the time, Ancelotti had led the team through a string of resounding victories and was seated beside president Florentino. The media and fans all regarded this as proof that the Italian was highly valued and trusted by Real Madrid's top brass, and the story spread widely.
This year, all the media and fans had likewise begun watching and speculating in advance: Who would sit beside Florentino? Would club head coach Zidane receive the same special treatment Ancelotti had received the previous year?
Unlike last year, this year's gathering was a dinner.
As night fell, Bernabéu remained brightly lit despite there being no match.
Although the stadium renovation was nearing completion, quite a bit of scaffolding still surrounded the stadium. Under the lights in the pitch-black night, Bernabéu Stadium seemed like a man-eating monster, imposing tremendous pressure on everyone.
Of course, Real Madrid fans enjoyed this oppressive atmosphere.
Countless fans came to Bernabéu of their own accord. They followed the club's rules and stood together in the designated area.
The media reporters had not been granted permission to enter either. They had been assigned to a specific area. Even media outlets close to Real Madrid, such as AS, Marca, and El País, had not been allowed inside to conduct interviews or take photographs. At most, they could obtain some inside information and news from Real Madrid officials.
For example, they had released the news early that Zidane would sit beside Florentino, just as Ancelotti had the previous season. This was recognition from Real Madrid's senior management of Zidane's achievements during the half-year he had been in charge.
But after arriving at Bernabéu, as Real Madrid's