Allan Prosser: Leadership of world football is more difficult if your team is a failing entity

Defeat at the hands of Thomas Tuchel tonight has reputational and financial consequences for Florentino Pérez. who has served as president of the biggest club in the world for 18 years

MAN ON A MISSION: The vision of Real Madrid president Florentino Pere rests on the €600m redevelopment of the Bernabeu and the establishment of the Super League. Picture: Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images

It's only 18,248 days since a competitive European fixture was last decided between Chelsea and Real Madrid.

For the mathematically-inclined, that is 49 years, 11 months, and 15 days. For statistical nit-pickers, this calculation also ignores the outcome of the 1998 Super Cup (1-0 to Chelsea) because in the grand scheme of things that is not a proper trophy (unless you are José Mourinho who counts everything).