Real Madrid confirmed they were keeping faith with under fire coach Fabio Capello despite Sunday's 1-0 home loss to struggling Levante which produced a near revolt among the fans of the former European champions.
Real "have decided to maintain their confidence in Fabio Capello," board spokesman Miguel Angel Arroyo told a news conference at the Bernabeu stadium, in comments suggesting the Italian was safe until the summer.
The situation "requires continuity and stability," Arroyo added.
Sporting director Pedja Mijatovic insisted that the current crisis enveloping the club - seven league defeats have left them just fourth in the table and looking unable to end a run of three trophyless seasons - would not last.
"We still have a chance of achieving something this season," said Mijatovic, notwithstanding Sunday's morale-sapping home loss to a side in the bottom three which had never won in the Bernabeu and left Real five points behind leaders Barcelona.
"I am optimistic things will change for the better," Mijatovic insisted.
"We're still in there in a good position. Capello is a great coach and he has a phenomenal CV. We have confidence in him."
Mijatovic insisted the decision to offload Ronaldo to AC Milan last month was part of the club's current strategy to give young players their head and that the transfer came after the player indicated he was not averse to a move.
He added that was also the thinking behind the decision to leave David Beckham kicking his heels as the former England captain prepares to join US outfit LA Galaxy in the summer.
" Beckham has been a great professional these past few years but he took decision to join another team, in this case a US team."
"The time has come to give the youngsters a chance to get more minutes under their belt and we are now counting on them," Mijatovic said, saying a new "cycle" was beginning.
The club continued its clear out in announcing England defender Jonathan Woodgate, on loan at Middlesbrough since August, has secured a permament move to the English Premiership club.
"Real Madrid and Middlesbrough have reached an agreement for the permanent transfer of Jonathan Woodgate," the Spanish giants announced.
On Sunday, after fans jeered the side off the pitch, Capello made no secret Beckham was unlikely to get a chance to return and that he was resolved to bring young players into the side.
" Beckham doesn't do anything for me. In the three years he has been here the results haven't been that good. Now we are trying a new way of doing things," said Capello, who preferred to have 20-year-old Miguel Nieto on the bench than call up Beckham.
Despite Mijatovic's attempts to talk up Real's chances of rescuing their campaign the media earlier noted that the fans had demanded the resignation of chairman Ramon Calderon after the Levante game.
"The Bernabeu explodes," was how El Pais newspaper saw the cascade of angry sentiment which poured from the stands, while AS sports daily said that "the Bernabeu is fed up."
El Pais described the team as a "public joke."
But long-serving defender Michel Salgado urged the team to "back Capello to the hilt" and said the players all had to share the blame.