April will be one of the most important month's in Real Madrid's recent history as they go in search of a domestic and European double that could result in an unprecedented 33rd La Liga title and the continent's top honour for the 12th time, Emilio Butragueno has claimed.
Following a return from the international break, the Spanish giants face what should be two relatively straight forward La Liga matches against Alaves at home on Sunday (April 2) and Leganes away next Wednesday (April 5). The month then explodes into life with the Madrid derby three days later followed by the first leg of the Champions League quarter final away to Bayern Munich. After completing the return leg on April 18, Real Madrid entertain Barcelona at the Bernabeu.
Butragueno, who is now Real Madrid's director of institutional relations, told ESPN FC: "This will be an awesome April. Everything that the team has worked so hard for this season will be determined over the next few weeks. This is one of the most pressurised months that I can remember because of the quality of opposition and the proximity of such high-profile games."
Butragueno admitted that of the April fixtures, it is the two Champions League matches against Bayern Munich that worry him the most.
"This is the team that all of us wanted to avoid. These will be very risky matches," he said. "These are the two best teams in Europe, there is little to choose between them and for me, this should have been the final.
"The key to who wins will be how the important players in both sides perform. For Real, it is also vital to return to the Bernabeu with something. You saw what Bayern did to Arsenal so keeping a clean sheet and perhaps getting an away goal could be the difference."
Looking ahead to El Clasico, Butragueno said that he expects Barcelona to undergo a period of transformation with the impending departure of coach Luis Enrique and uncertainty over the future of playmaker Andres Iniesta.
Butragueno added: "Barcelona's engine [Iniesta] is aging. He's going to be 33 and can't play to the same intensity that he used to. Xavi has already gone. These two between them dictated the way the team played. With a new coach also coming in, I think there will be a change to Barcelona's style and the way they are set out. In the near future, this could work to Real's advantage.
"All Clasicos are crucial because neither side wants to lose. But this one has an added edge because it comes quite late in the season. The title will not be decided by the match but whoever wins will go into the remainder of the season full of confidence because there will be only be five games left."
During Butragueno's 11-year career in the Real Madrid first team, they dominated domestic football, winning La Liga six times. But the former front man now insists that the emergence of city rivals Atletico has been positive for the game in the country and demonstrates its competitiveness.
He said: "Diego Simeone has done a wonderful job. He's a strong personality, sometimes a little too strong but he has built a team that reflects this. Atletico's performances over the last few years have reignited the rivalry between us and as with El Clasico, this is a match all of us want to win.
"The emergence of Atletico shows how competitive La Liga actually is and that it's not a competition just between the big two [Real and Barcelona]. Some claim that the Premier League is a better competition but there are 10 points separating the top four teams in Spain while Chelsea are 10 points clear at the top and are likely to become champions. For me, this makes La Liga the best in the world."