“Respect the slogan.” Arbeloa’s message after Real Madrid’s defeat in El Clásico | sports

Alvaro Arbeloa spoke frankly after Real Madrid’s stormy season culminated in Barcelona’s celebrations of the Spanish Premier League title against the capital team, saying that the club understands the fans’ anger following the 2-0 loss in the derby match at Camp Nou on Sunday.

This loss gave Barcelona its 29th domestic league title with three rounds remaining, leaving Real Madrid out of the season without a title, concluding a miserable year that witnessed the dismissal of Xabi Alonso in the middle of the season and Arbeloa’s failure to stop the decline.

Arbeloa’s statements

Arbeloa told reporters: “There is not much to say. We understand their frustration and disappointment and how dissatisfied they are with this season. All we can do is work hard and look to the future, and learn from all the mistakes we made this year.”

He added: “Real Madrid always comes back. We have fallen a lot and risen a lot, but I understand the anger that any Real Madrid fan might feel. We must work to change this situation.”

Real Madrid’s season collapsed on several fronts this season, including the Champions League quarter-final exit to Bayern Munich, while tensions escalated further last Thursday when captain Federico Valverde was taken to hospital following a brawl in the locker room with his teammate Aurelien Chouamini.

Arbeloa explained that there was no room for complacency despite the end of the title race, and urged his players to be professional and respect the club’s logo in the remaining three league matches.

Arbeloa said: “With greater responsibility, knowing that our season is over, we cannot let ourselves down. Quite the opposite, we must play to win. We are defending something bigger than ourselves, which is the Real Madrid motto. We have to play three great matches and achieve three great victories.”

Great selection

In response to a question about the need for the Real Madrid team to rebuild, Arbeloa supported his players, saying: “We have a great squad of players, and we can extract a lot from them. It has not been easy at all with everything that has happened in recent months. Many prominent players have been absent.”

He continued: “The club will always strive to develop, but we have a very good squad of players that any team in Europe would want.”

Regarding his future with the team, Arbeloa said that discussions will come later, and he explained: “As you know, we will likely have a conversation with the club. What I want is for us to finish the season strong, and for the players to get some playing minutes, that is my goal. As for what the future holds, we will have to wait and see.”