Real Madrid News
How Real Madrid coach has turned his back on homegrown first-team players
With just five matches remaining, Real Madrid are heading towards the worst possible ending to a campaign – without a trophy and the prospect of having to offer a guard of honour to Barcelona.
With nothing to play for, it is almost guaranteed that Alvaro Arbeloa won’t continue at Real Madrid next season, with the club actively looking for other managerial options.
However, during his short spell at Real Madrid, Arbeloa, despite the positives, has done some irreparable damage to the Real Madrid setup, including turning his back on homegrown players.
Four academy players sidelined
As reported by Diario SPORT, four of Real Madrid’s homegrown first-team players – Dani Carvajal, Raul Asencio, Gonzalo and Fran Garcia – have all seen their involvement significantly reduced since Arbeloa took charge.
The pattern is difficult to ignore, particularly given the coach’s own history as a product of the same system.
Carvajal has arguably been the worst treated of the four. Having returned from a serious knee injury, the club captain has started just four matches under Arbeloa and completed only two of them.
Now, the Spaniard is on the verge of leaving the Bernabeu, with his contract expiring at the end of the season.
Fran Garcia, meanwhile, has started just five of the 23 matches Arbeloa has overseen, completing only three. Gonzalo has featured in 14 games with six starts but has not completed even 30% of the available minutes.
Asencio’s situation is perhaps the most troubling, as he was repeatedly called upon while carrying an injury; he eventually requested rest to protect his fitness, a decision that did not go down well with the coach.
The one homegrown player Arbeloa has genuinely backed is Thiago Pitarch, who has been given meaningful opportunities and largely justified the faith shown in him.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho reacts to Vinicius suspension: “Why announce it two hours before an important match?”
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the RFEF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to announce Vinicius Jr.’s four-match suspension just hours before their UEFA Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazilian has been hit with a four-match ban for his red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia.
And, speaking to Movistar+ (h/t MARCA) before the match, the Real Madrid manager was asked whether the punishment could affect the Brazilian psychologically.
Mourinho instead turned his attention to the football authorities and the timing of their announcement.
“I think that is a question for the Committee. Why have they announced the suspension at this particular moment? If you are asking me this question, it is presumably because you think it could affect him,” the Portuguese coach replied.
“You should ask the Committee why they did not announce it this morning, or tomorrow morning. Why do they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club?” he added, questioning the timing of the decision.
Mourinho explains his tactical approach against Roma
The Real Madrid manager also outlined his plan for facing a Roma side known for their aggressive pressing.
“My intention is to stop them from pressing us so high up the pitch, given the players we have available and as a precaution,” he said.
Continuing, the Portuguese manager added: “They press man-to-man higher up the pitch better than anyone else, and we will see whether we can take advantage of that. If not, they will have to drop their press five or ten metres.”
Why Rudiger over Huijsen
Mourinho also justified his decision to start Antonio Rudiger at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate rather than Dean Huijsen.
“They played very well together in the last match, Rudiger and Konate, showing great leadership and the ability to withstand a difficult situation when we had ten men for 30 minutes,” he said.
“I am not saying Dean is not capable of playing a match like this, but this is a wonderful atmosphere for Roma and a difficult one for us. I think a player with Antonio’s experience can be important,” Mourinho added.
Finally, Mourinho was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to face Roma, the club he managed between 2021 and 2024.
The Portuguese coach offered a brief response, saying that he had his feelings about the occasion “blocked”.
