Butragueno: We are very grateful to Roma

This year the Giallorossi have been invited to play in the annual Real Madrid charity match, with great former players from both clubs taking part as they help raise money for charity projects in Africa.

And Butragueno, who faced Roma in his testimonial in 1995, is looking forward to inviting the club back to Spain once again.

How much of a thrill will it be to play at the Santiago Bernabeu again? Especially for an important cause?

"It would be impossible to understand our club without the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. It means a lot to all of us and it will be a great honour for me to play once again in front of our fans. On top of that, we are going to help raise funds to help the Real Madrid Foundation to continue carrying out social projects all over the world.

How have you prepared for the game, and what sort of spirit do you think it will be played in?

"This is a charity game. Therefore we have to bear in mind the main purpose of the match. Having said that, when you are on the pitch you want to win. We will do our best to thoroughly enjoy the experience and try to make it as entertaining as possible for all of those who are going to the game."

Which Roma players, looking at the list, are you looking forward to coming up against?

"First of all, we would like to thank them for accepting our invitation to come to Madrid for this game. We truly appreciate it. We are delighted to host such a marvellous group of players. Having the opportunity of watching Boniek, Conti, Cafu, Aldair, Balbo, Tommasi, Perrotta, among others, will be a real treat to our fans.

"Additionally, I am sure this stadium will bring back great memories for Bruno Conti as he won the World Cup here in 1982."

What memories do you have of Roma from your playing days? Did you ever play the Giallorossi, and what were those games like?

"I am very grateful to AS Roma because they came to my testimonial game. As you can imagine, it was a very special match for me, one of the most moving of my career. They were very kind to me and I will never forget their fantastic gesture."

What do you think of the current Roma side?

"Roma has grown as a club in the last few years and they are going to continue in the same way in the following years. We played against them last season in the Champions League last-16 and they were a tough opponent.

"I am entirely convinced that their role in the European football will be more and more important in the years ahead. "