'FIRE IN THE BELLY AND A COOL HEAD', PABLO BLANCO AND NEGREDO CHAT ALL THINGS EL GRAN DERBI

Pablo Blanco and Álvaro Negredo know full well what it takes to play in El Gran Derbi. While playing in different eras, both players have enjoyed the highs and lows of derby day, and both have managed to score. With a trip to the other side of town to face Real Betis on the horizon, they had a chat as part of Midea's 'Fire in the belly and a cool head' campaign.

Blanco, now a club ambassador, is the player with the second most derby appearances with 22; Jesús Navas is the only player with more. Negredo, who recently retired from professional football and is now part of the coaching set-up at the academy, managed three goals in four matches against Betis. They played in very different matches, but were in full agreement that this is a game like no other. Blanco said, "These matches are different to the others because of the emotion, the tension... The league table has no impact on the game. The team has to play their best if they are to win."

Negredo added, "I've played in many derbies, for example in Turkey, which were very intense. But there's something different about this one. It is a derby that divides families. When the season's fixtures are announced, this is the one that is marked in the diary first." The full chat can be listened to in the video above.