The reaction of the entire Real Madrid dressing room to their Copa del Rey exit at the hands of second division Albacete reveals exactly how the club is feeling.
After just seven months in charge, Xabi Alonso left Real Madrid “by mutual consent” following their 3-2 loss to historic rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final
To replace Alonso, former Real Madrid and Liverpool teammate Alvaro Arbeloa has stepped up from his previous role of Castilla, Madrid’s B team.
However, things didn't get off to a promising start for Arbeloa as he led Real Madrid for their second domestic cup exit in just a matter of days, losing 3-2 to second division club Albacete in the Copa del Rey round of 16.
Advert
Immediately after the result, reports have emerged revealing how the Madrid dressing room reacted to the loss, and it's not a good sign for the future of Arbeloa's tenure.
Ahead of the match, Arbeloa decided to rest star players Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo, Thibaut Courtois and Jude Bellingham, a decision which ultimately backfired as Real Madrid struggled throughout the entire match.
Madrid had to come back from behind twice, including with a 91st minute equaliser, but ultimately couldn't prevent Albacete from knocking them out courtesy of a 94th minute goal from substitute Jefte Betancor.
Advert
But perhaps more damning than the result itself is details about the reaction to the game from Spanish journalist Jose Luis Sanchez who described the Real Madrid dressing room as “a veritable funeral” while speaking on El Chiringuito.
He claimed that not a single player spoke after the match, with Arbeloa forced to come in and console his team, asking them to regroup ahead of their upcoming La Liga clash with Levante while claiming that he’s the most to blame for the shock loss.
The reaction from a dressing room built of several players deemed to be leaders at Real Madrid raises questions about how the stars of the club feel about Arbeloa's appointment, following reports that many of them had fallen out with former boss Alonso.
Advert
Arbeloa's comments post-match echo the details of Sanchez's report, with the new Real Madrid boss completely absorbing the blame for the result.
Speaking post-match, the 42-year-old admitted: "If anyone is responsible and to blame for this outcome, it's clearly me - the one who made the decisions regarding the line-up, how we wanted to play, the substitutions.
"I'm not afraid of failure. I understand anyone who wants to describe this defeat as a failure. Failure is part of the road to success.
"It will make me better, and it will make us all better."
Topics: Real Madrid, Copa Del Rey, Football
Ben McCrum