LaLiga president Javier Tebas said something on Friday. At an event to promote Sunday night's Clasico clash, the 57-year-old pointed to the small gap at the top of the table and concluded that the competition is now stronger than before.
There was, of course, an element of truth in his words. Redistribution of television rights in recent seasons has helped the rest to catch up. But there is also another truth: Real Madrid and Barcelona are considerably weaker than before.
Real's defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday makes Sunday's Clasico even more important. Defeat would all but end Los Blancos hopes of winning LaLiga for the first time since 2016-17. The pressure is on.
"For Madrid, it's vital and much more important than it is for us," Barcelona coach Quique Setien said on Saturday. Zinedine Zidane disagreed, but asked if his job would be under threat if he lost on Sunday, he shrugged. "You'll have to ask others."
A three-time Champions League winner in his first spell in charge, Zidane returned last March in Madrid's hour of need. The Frenchman is leading Los Blancos through a transitional period, but he knows he needs to win trophies too.
Madrid claimed the Spanish Supercopa in January. That alone will not be sufficient to keep the 47-year-old in his job, although defeat in the same competition was enough for Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde to lose his.
Valverde's dismissal saw Setien appointed at Barca, after failed attempts to sign Xavi and others. The 61-year-old has brought about a change of style at Camp Nou, but the Blaugrana (like Real) are out of the Copa del Rey and Tuesday night's 1-1 draw at Napoli suggested success in the Champions League is unlikely.
Lionel Messi said similar in a recent interview and therefore, LaLiga assumes added importance for both these teams.
Barca have claimed the title in eight of the last 11 seasons, winning seven times at the Santiago Bernabeu along the way. Such has been their dominance in the league that winning it has almost become the minimum requirement for the Catalans in recent years. Suddenly, that too is under threat.
Victory on Sunday would see Barca move five points clear with 12 rounds remaining and that is effectively six because the outcome would be decided by the head-to-head record over the two games if they finish level (and that would favour Setien's side after the pair drew 0-0 at Camp Nou in December).
That stalemate was the first goalless game in the famous fixture since 2001 and gave an insight into where the two teams are at the moment – some way short of their brilliant best from years gone by.
"Whatever happens [on Sunday], it won't be decisive," Zidane said in his pre-match press conference on Saturday, having seen his side drop five points in the last two games. "There is still a long way to go." It would almost be decisive, though.
The situation hands the advantage to Barca and Setien led Real Betis to victory at the Santiago Bernabeu on his last visit, but away games so far have brought some mixed performances, the squad is stretched and doubts remain ahead of Sunday's Clasico.
It is a match both will want to win, but perhaps one which neither can really afford to lose. Or, as former Madrid and Argentina striker Jorge Valdano called it, "a race in which both are limping".
It was an accurate analogy. These two tremendous teams are weaker than before, limping towards the line in LaLiga. And in this Clasico, the title may be decided by the one which falls over first.
