Real Madrid is preparing to face their Kazakh host Kairat on Tuesday and respond strongly to the statement made by former Russian star Andrey Arshavin, the former Zenit Saint Petersburg and Arsenal player who played for Kairat between 2016-2019 before retiring.

Arshavin (44 years old), who currently works in an analysis studio and enrolled his son in the Catalan club’s academy in Moscow, said before the match at Almaty Central Stadium: “Every loss for Real Madrid is a balm to my heart, I hope Kairat wins.”

Arshavin had previously expressed his great love for Barcelona and was described by his former Kairat teammate, Cesar Arzo, as one of Barcelona’s Ultras.