Alvaro Arbeloa He has always defended that his future does not worry him. Which he has never done since he took office. But in the real Madridthat’s a phrase that rarely stands the test of results. And this year, everything points to another blank year. A situation that, in the internal logic of the club, usually leads to a change of coach.
The reflection process now begins. Because beyond the final outcome, Arbeloa’s name has begun to generate a real debate inside and outside the club. His approach in Munich, where the team almost made a comeback that seemed impossible, has served as the starting point of a debate that will cause people to talk. Because against Bayern we saw a brave, recognizable and competitive Madrid. And that, in a context of doubts, perhaps has more weight than it seems.
Arbeloa on Camavinga’s expulsion: “It is inexplicable and unfair”
Weighty endorsements have come from outside. Authoritative voices of European football such as Steven Gerrard either Steve McManaman They have stated that Arbeloa deserves more travel, that his work invites us to think about continuity rather than a dismissal, although in Arbeloa’s case it is friendly. “The history of previous seasons has always suggested that they will change coaches and, unfortunately, I feel sorry for our Arbeloa tonight, because his game plan was excellent,” said the former Real Madrid player on TNT Sport.
The history of previous seasons has always suggested that they will change coaches
McManaman
Gerrard speaks along the same lines: “I feel sorry for Arbeloa and I feel sorry for many of the Real Madrid players because they were much better than last week and were excellent all over the field. They defended better as a team, they attacked better. “You have to feel sorry for Arbeloa and he will probably lose his job, but I don’t think he deserves it judging by what he saw against Bayern.”
The locker room votes for Arbeloa
But where his candidacy has the most strength is not in the offices or in the external analyses. It’s in the locker room. Arbeloa has won over the group. And it is not a cliché. Important, important players consider that he has managed to build a connection that is not always easy in Madrid and that was not had with Arbeloa. Arbeloa gained closeness without losing authority, he made demands on key nights with meaning and tried, especially on important nights, for his team to have an idea. In a club like Madrid, where the dressing room is complicated and usually decisive, that support has unquestionable value.
Therefore, beyond the usual noise that accompanies each season finale without titles, the decision is not as obvious as on other occasions. The club will have to sit down, evaluate and decide. And to do so, furthermore, in a context in which the market does not offer a clear candidate that generates immediate consensus.
That is Madrid’s dilemma after a season in which it destroyed Xabi Alonso and can burn Arbeloa: change due to inertia or bet on what the coach has already tried to start building from within. Arbeloa is at the center of that debate.
