Chus Mateo says goodbye to the Real Madrid bench with dignity and pride, closing a successful chapter despite the doubts that accompanied him from the very beginning. In a heartfelt interview with Cadena SER’s El Larguero, the coach admitted that his time at the helm was never free of scrutiny: "From day one, there were rumors. There was never complete peace. It’s a little sad.”

Even so, Mateo chose to stay focused, shutting out the noise and dedicating himself fully to the team: "Sometimes they just want a change. You have to walk away with your head held high.”

Despite winning the Liga Endesa title with a dominant 3-0 sweep in the final, Mateo says he had long feared his exit: "They signed me to continue a project that wasn’t going badly. That consistency was bringing results. I don’t want to dwell on the decision—what matters to me is that we did a great job. Two ACB titles with 3-0 wins, three trophies last year, a Euroleague… I’ll remember all of it forever. This is the club I love.”

Mateo revealed that he was informed of his dismissal just three days before the interview by Juan Carlos Sánchez: "He told me he hoped he wouldn’t have to tell me this. But I didn’t want to get into it too much. I just hope the titles keep coming. I’m a Real Madrid fan and always will be.”

As for the future, he’s open to new challenges—including coaching the Spanish national team: "Why wouldn’t I want to? I need time to process all this, but I’d love to keep coaching.”

One of the more painful aspects of his departure, however, was the lack of a message from club president Florentino Pérez: "We saw each other during the celebration, but that was it. I haven’t received any message or communication.”

Still, there’s no bitterness in his tone, as he emphasized again in an interview with COPE’s El Partidazo: "No grudges. Quite the opposite. I leave sad because I didn’t want to go—but happy. We’ve won six titles in three years. This season alone, we’ve won 30 of our last 31 games. What more can I ask for? I leave proud and with a clear conscience.”

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