Real Madrid president Florentino Perez steps in and makes stance clear after Sociedad fans target Raul Asencio with death chants: Reports

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has stepped in to make his stance clear after Real Sociedad fans targeted young defender Raul Asencio with death chants. The shocking scenes took place at the Reale Arena, during Los Blancos' 1-0 win over Sociedad in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final on February 26.

Referee Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez had to stop the game temporarily in the first half after some sections of the stadium chanted "D*e Asencio". This comes amidst news that the centre-back is under investigation due to a "child s*x abuse video scandal" (via GOAL).

Asencio was eventually substituted at half-time, as the match continued. Now, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has stepped in to offer support to the Spanish defender. According to reports from Spanish outlet Marca (via Madrid Universal), the club chief has spoken with the player and asked Asencio to stay calm. He also confirmed that the club would stand behind the 22-year-old.

Despite the events at the Reale Arena, Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that Raul Asencio is prepared to continue playing. Ahead of their match against Real Betis on March 1, the manager said (via Sports Illustrated):

"The player is fine, he's recovered. What happened the other day got to him, but he's ready to play. It never should have happened, but the protocol was followed correctly.

"If the same thing happens again, I would hope they'll apply the protocol as the referee did so brilliantly the other day. When I pick him, I'm not thinking about anything else. That kind of abuse should not be going on."

It is expected that Asencio will play in Real Madrid's upcoming match against Real Betis at Benito Villamarin.

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Carlo Ancelotti speaks about Real Madrid's good form

Carlo Ancelotti has shared his pleasure with Real Madrid's good form in recent weeks. Los Blancos have not lost in their last seven games, notably clinching a 6-3 aggregate win over Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League playoffs.

Ancelotti said about their run of form (via Sports Illustrated):

"I'm feeling optimistic because we're playing well. We've done a good job in recent games, with rotations and some fresh legs, and it's worked nicely. I'm not so concerned with the injuries, I focus on the strength of this team. Our opponents have real quality, they fight hard and compete well, anything can happen in the game."

Real Madrid sit behind league leaders Barcelona, sharing the same number of points but a lower goal difference. They will need to beat Real Betis to lead the La Liga rankings and put pressure on the Blaugrana.