<![CDATA[denial watch I]]>I thought it would be interesting to keep tabs on the reactions to the Cristiano vs. Iker story.  So, here are the denials in chronological order.  I’ll keep updating it until the press tires of asking about it, which I hope will be soon.

Dec. 15

– Lass, press conference:  “Everything’s good between Iker and Cristiano.  Iker is the captain and Cristiano is one of the leaders.”

– Xabi, COPE interview:  “It’s an urban legend.  Obviously, there are small groups that have more in common with each other, but the main group is united, with no conflicts.”

Dec. 16

– Di María, press conference:  “The group has been very united since we went to Los Angeles.  A great and strong group has formed, the locker room is a piña.”

Dec. 17

– Iker, Clinica Menorca event:   “There are people who want to create controversy and say there is a bad atmosphere when the truth is the opposite.  Cristiano and I get along very well.  Each person is different, but that doesn’t mean that there’s distance between us or a confrontation.  There are no groups or cliques.  Marcelo is a fantastic and jovial kid, as is Pepe, and Cristiano as well.  In the locker room, there is a great atmosphere.  We have to get move on and stop talking about stupid things.”

– Özil, AS interview:  “I look around in the locker room and I see that [Iker and Cristiano] get along perfectly fine.  That’s why I don’t think there’s anything true about that.

– Real Madrid web site, being very subtle:

Dec. 18

– Mou, press conference:  “this is news that comes out when there’s nothing else, in order to sell papers.  There are some news that do less harm, such as signings that are lies, and others that harm the image of the players.  But that’s all, we don’t have any problems in the locker room…. we don’t have internal problems.”

Dec. 20

– the club sends Iker and Cristiano to the same hospital to hand out presents.

– Sergio Ramos, to the press:  everything that is said is a pantomime.  We all get along and there is a lot of unity on this team.  Those who want to destabilize the team will not succeed.  These types of things don’t affect us.

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