Not even the win over Real Oviedo brought calm to Real Madrid. After the match, Kylian Mbappé claimed the manager had said to him that he was the team’s fourth forward. Álvaro Arbeloa was a bit surprised when asked about that statement last Thursday, but on Saturday he left that controversy behind him.
Arbeloa said: “I just saw him and told him to stay calm. What he said is something I talked about with him. It’s natural. I know what it is to play every match and not play. I know he wasn’t happy and I like it. I wouldn’t understand if he didn’t want to play. It’s normal. In his situation the best thing for him was to play in the second half. I don’t have a problem with him.”
This list of incidents from the last few weeks makes it impossible for Arbeloa to stay as the manager for next season, even if it was already hard to imagine him continuing in his role for much longer. That subject may be the most important thing the club needs to get right.
Arbeloa on Mbappé making things public
There have been meetings with the players during the season with the manager, as Arbeloa was the person admitting having a special place to talk with them. Wherever it was, the conversation with Mbappé occurred.
Mbappé was on the bench (Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
The issue this time for many was that the player made public a conversation he had with the manager in private, which created even more controversy in a club that has been under the spotlight lately.
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Arbeloa said: “I wasn’t hurt. Every time I talk to a player, I’m not scared. When I talk in private, I like it to stay private, but it doesn’t bother me that it gets commented on. I talked to him before the match and, as I told you before, no problem.”
Arbeloa on his experience
Xabi Alonso was expected to lead Real Madrid to glory when he was hired last year. However, poor performances led to his dismissal in January. This was untimely for the club, which decided to appoint Arbeloa as interim manager. Even if his job has not been ideal as the team goes another season without titles, the manager thinks it was a great step in his career.
Arbeloa said: “I came here four months ago, and I was a manager in the Primera RFEF, and the day I leave this place I will have been Real Madrid manager, a top-flight manager, and someone who has taken part in Champions League matches. There are not many managers who can say that. For me, these four months have been a great learning experience.”
