Real Madrid failed to secure a top-eight spot in the league phase of the Champions League and one player’s message to Alvaro Arbeloa was caught on camera.
Arbeloa replaced Xabi Alonso who departed Real Madrid after just seven months following a successful spell in charge of Bayer Leverkusen.
The former Liverpool defender had been in charge of Real Madrid’s B team since June 2025 and was named as Alonso’s successor just one day after Madrid’s defeat to rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup.
Madrid faced Jose Mourinho’s Benfica in the final league phase game on the back of three consecutive wins but were stunned away from home, losing 4-2 which meant they missed out on automatic qualification into the round of 16.
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Mourinho’s side booked their place in the play-off round in dramatic circumstances with goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scoring in the 98th minute to put them ahead of Marseille on goal difference.
Real Madrid youngster Arda Guler provided an assist for Kylian Mbappe but his reaction to being substituted by Arbeloa has caused a stir.
The 20-year-old was caught on camera mouthing ‘always me’ while looking visibly upset at the decision to remove him.
As reported by Turkiye Today, Arbeloa later explained his decision to introduce Brahim Diaz to address Guler’s fatigue but his outburst is the latest of spats between player and manager in Madrid.
Back in October, Vinicius Junior was caught on camera expressing his frustration at being substituted by then-manager Alonso.
The Brazilian was caught saying: “Always me! I’m leaving the team, it’s better if I leave, I’m leaving,” amid growing tensions with the Spaniard.
Prior to the Benfica game, Arbeloa heaped praise on Guler but admitted he needed he must continue to grow in all aspects of his game.
Arbeloa said: “Arda is a boy with ability, talent, vision, final pass, and a great switch of play … We must exploit him more. He has room for improvement, is young, and is working hard. He is helping us a lot.
"He must continue to grow in all situations, and surely over time and with experience, he will be extremely important globally, if he isn’t already."
Topics: Real Madrid, Champions League, Football
Marcus Banks