The mood around Alvaro Arbeloa’s first press conference as Real Madrid manager was — unsurprisingly — one of high expectation and great curiosity.
It was supposed to be Xabi Alonso greeting the media before Wednesday’s last-16 Copa del Rey match at Albacete. After Sunday’s 3-2 defeat by Barcelona at the Supercopa de Espana, however, events unfolded rapidly.
By Monday evening, Alonso had been sacked, with his close friend Arbeloa appointed in his place.
As a player, Arbeloa, now 42, won the Champions League twice with Real Madrid (in 2014 and 2016) and was a World Cup winner with Spain in 2010. He began coaching at the Madrid Academy in 2020 and was last summer promoted to take charge of the club’s reserve team Real Madrid Castilla, moving on from the under-19s.
Despite the fact that his name had been the most often mentioned as a potential Alonso replacement since December, the swiftness of his rise comes as a surprise.
This was not a presentation of Arbeloa as manager as such — even though Madrid did send out director of institutional relations and former club player Emilio Butragueno to deliver some official words of affection.
And some major questions still remain about Arbeloa’s position. Madrid have not confirmed whether he has been given the job on an interim or permanent basis, nor whether his contract with the club has changed.
As he has been during the past few months as Castilla manager, his first coaching experience in the senior game, Arbeloa was talkative and friendly, making a point of addressing journalists present by their first names (even if one of the first reporters to ask a question accidentally addressed him as Xabi).
He showed that he has a different profile to his predecessor and made clear that he also has a more direct style. Here is what he said — and what it tells us.
“I can tell you that I’ve been here for 20 years and I’ll stay as long as Madrid wants me to. I know what Real Madrid is, the demands from outside, and I’m clear about what the fans want and what they want their team to convey, throughout its history.
“At Real Madrid we have 123 years of history and it’s difficult to be recognised for playing well. We know the demands that come with it. You have to win.”
Arbeloa has always been considered a ‘club man’ and this was clearly demonstrated on the day of his farewell as a Real Madrid player.
“From now on, I’m one of them. I’ll sit where they sit,” Arbeloa himself said about the fans after his last match at the Bernabeu against Valencia in May 2016. Between four years in the youth academy (2001-2005) and seven in the first team (2009-2016), Arbeloa spent 12 years at Madrid as a player.
Arbeloa on the day of his Madrid departure (Europa Press/Europa Press via Getty Images)
A section of the stands chanted his name, unfurled a large shirt with his name and his No 17, and he was carried aloft by his team-mates.
Arbeloa also gave Florentino Perez a shirt with the following message: “To the ‘presi’ (president), you brought me here 15 years ago, when you left I went with you, and in 2009 you brought me back home. Grateful for life.”
It was a tribute that few players in those days experienced and one that reflected the club directors’ appreciation for him as someone who faithfully represented their position.
That’s why, after his retirement in 2017, following a season at West Ham, he returned to Madrid as an ambassador.
Siempre dijo que estaría preparado cuando el @realmadrid le volviese a llamar. Álvaro Arbeloa regresa al club de su vida como embajador nacional e internacional. ¡Enhorabuena, @aarbeloa17! 🙌🏼 pic.twitter.com/FSmaXptfei
— Best Of You Sports (@bestofyousports) December 23, 2017
Arbeloa later rose through the ranks of the academy’s youth teams as a coach, but maintained a very close and appreciative relationship with the Madrid hierarchy, as well as a great knowledge of the club’s structure.
He even participated as a commentator on Real Madrid TV, the club’s official television channel.
It has not yet been officially announced how long Arbeloa will be in charge of the first team, but the lack of information is not surprising in this case because the connection between both parties makes everything easier.
Arbeloa would have considered it a success that he didn’t put the club in a difficult position during the press conference when asked about his contract length, choosing not to reveal anything more than the little we have already been told. That also says a lot.
“Yesterday I spoke with Xabi. Everyone knows the relationship I have with him, how much I appreciate him, and it’s mutual. It will continue to be mutual.
“He didn’t put anything in my way. He wished me the best, just as I would have done if the situation were reversed. Our friendship is above many things, we talked for a long time. I’m sure he’ll do very well in the future.”
Arbeloa developed a close relationship with Alonso as the peaks of their playing careers coincided at Liverpool (2007-2009), Real Madrid (2009-2014) and the Spanish national team (2008-13).
This relationship continued after their retirements. Arbeloa was present at Alonso’s presentation as the new head coach in June and sent him this message via Instagram: “Welcome back. We couldn’t be happier to have you back with us.”
Since the start of the season, the two have occasionally met on the training ground and worked together. One of the last times they were seen together publicly was on November 27, when Toni Kroos was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of Germany.
Of course, the fact that Arbeloa’s name began to be mentioned as a candidate to replace Alonso complicated things.
On December 13, after a 2-1 defeat by Manchester City in the Champions League, Alonso himself had to field an awkward question about the gathering noise around Arbeloa potentially replacing him. “I think he could be Madrid’s coach in the future, he’s doing very well,” the 44-year-old said.
“We have a squad of players with enormous talent and I think they’re good lads. I’ve played for Madrid myself, I’ve told them that for me that was the best time of my life.
“I’ve found a group that is very eager, especially because we have a long season with three titles. I’ve seen a lot of willingness. They are as excited as I am.
“Obviously, all the players are starting from scratch, it’s a new beginning. That’s all there is to it. It’s a new beginning and a continuation of the goals we already had.”
Probably the first problem that emerged this season was the early rift that grew between Alonso and the players, as reported by The Athletic back in October.
Arbeloa and Butragueno, pictured on Tuesday (Oscar del Pozo/AFP via Getty Images)
Tensions within the dressing room have been ongoing for some time, to the point that some players, such as Vinicius Junior, have not yet publicly said goodbye to Alonso.
It will therefore be interesting to see how the new head coach acts, and whether he will be more severe than his predecessor. There was a message of support for Vinicius Jr, who has recently been jeered by fans at the Bernabeu. Arbeloa praised him as one of “the most effective players in the world”.
What is clear is that things will not move forward at Madrid unless the players are on board. If he can get everyone on the same page, it will be a big step forward, regardless of the team’s structural problems.
“This club is about winning, winning and winning again. Let’s not forget that we have players with six Champions League titles, which we seem to forget quickly.”
When Alonso spoke publicly for the first time as Madrid coach back in June, one of the most surprising statements he made was: “Let the rock and roll begin!”
That message ended up haunting him. Arbeloa’s answer (above) in reply to a question about what fans should expect from a team managed by him, clearly reflects a more pragmatic approach.
Arbeloa taking Madrid training on Tuesday (Alberto Gardin/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
Interestingly, the phrase he chose (“winning, winning and winning again”) was made famous by the late coach Luis Aragones (who coached Atletico Madrid and Spain, winning the European Championship in 2008). It has also been repeated on occasion by current Atletico boss Diego Simeone.
This may be another example of Arbeloa’s desire to distance himself from dogma, including that of Jose Mourinho, who managed him at Madrid from 2010-2013.
He was asked about whether the Portuguese had been a big influence on him and said: “I knew that question was coming. I haven’t spoken to him yet. For me, it was a privilege and an honour to be coached by Mourinho.
“He was someone who had a big influence on me, but I am Alvaro Arbeloa. I’m not afraid of failure, but if I tried to be Mourinho, I would fail.”
