Alvaro Arbeloa is not unanimous at the head of Real Madrid. Taking office on January 12, replacing the sacked Xabi Alonso, the former Castilla coach will celebrate his first month at the helm of the Merengues next week, a month marked by performances that are far from convincing.
Real was humiliated in the Copa del Rey by Albacete (2-3), eliminated from the top 8 of the Champions League by Benfica (2-4), and its successes in La Liga are often marred by refereeing controversies. In the standings, the club remains a small point behind FC Barcelona, but the performances and the game are worrying.
According to Cadena SERthe daily atmosphere at Valdebebas would be better than under Xabi Alonso. However, significant doubts remain among the players, particularly regarding training. “Arbeloa is very close to the players, so much so that some find it excessive”first reports journalist Anton Meana.
“The atmosphere in the locker room was tense”
Within the workforce, certain decisions created astonishment. “The group was surprised that Ceballos did not play in Lisbon against Benfica, in favor of Cestero, and made this known to the coach. After the match against Rayo, the atmosphere in the locker room was tense, with tactical and technical differences”he specifies.
“Some players expected more from the change of coach. They live as if they were trained like the Castilla team. There is no real tactical change. They know that some of Xabi Alonso’s decisions were already generating a lot of noise internally, and now, with Arbeloa, they are observing the compositions and changes, I’m not going to say that they are smiling… but almost”adds Meana. Enough to complicate the situation.
