On Tuesday 13 January, Alvaro Arbeloa conducted his first training as a coach of Real Madrid, after Xabi Alonso left on Monday. The former player salutes the talent of the players of the squad and their involvement.
First unifying words. At the end of his first training with the Real Madrid players, Alvaro Arbeloa held his first press conference as coach of the club’s first team of the Spanish capital. On Monday, the 42-year-old Spaniard succeeded Xabi Alonso, who left Real after just seven months at his head.
During this first speech in front of the press, Arbeloa wanted to salute his players: “The squad is not only composed of great professionals and great footballers, with a huge talent, but they are all good guys. They want to do things right.”
“I know the responsibility we have”
He also stressed the involvement of the players. “Nobody at Real Madrid wants to win titles anymore than players. I know what it’s like to be a Real Madrid player. I know what it’s like to win, what it takes. I know the joy we bring to millions of fans around the world, the responsibility we have. Being a Real Madrid player has been the best stage of my life, you have to enjoy it. There are a lot of demands and I still have it today,” he said.
These remarks resonate particularly since Xabi Alonso has partly left Real Madrid because of his difficulties in managing the dressing room and bringing his players together around a common project. The management of offensive players, less free than under Carlo Ancelotti, had notably led to some tensions internally but also in public.
“The contact with the group was good, it was a good first day and I hope we will win our first game,” Arbeloa said. Real Madrid travel to Albacete on Wednesday 14 January for the 8th finals of the King’s Cup
Leave a Reply