The media campaign against Mateo began subtly in the spring of 2013, with carefully planted stories that questioned his suitability for elite football while maintaining a veneer of journalistic objectivity.
The club's communications department had developed a sophisticated strategy that would gradually shift public perception without appearing to directly attack a player who had achieved remarkable success at every level of competition.
The campaign was orchestrated by María Fernández, the club's head of communications, working in coordination with external public relations consultants who specialized in reputation management and crisis communication.
Their approach was methodical and professional, designed to create doubt about Mateo's commercial value while avoiding direct criticism that could generate sympathy or backlash.
