Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa spoke to the media after their win over Rayo Vallecano on Sunday. He was asked about the team being booed at the Bernabeu, to which he said: “I obviously respect all opinions and viewpoints. But I saw a crowd that carried us to victory, supporting us when we needed it, and without them, that goal surely wouldn’t have come. I always say it: players are better with their fans. And today it was proven again.”
Arbeloa on the match
“A victory born of pure heart and soul. Spurred on by
the Bernabéu crowd, who helped us pull off a tough win. Rayo’s visit to the Bernabéu is always uncomfortable. We hit the post twice and, luckily, we were rewarded at the end.”
Arbeloa on how important the win was
“A lot. Right now we need to work from the confidence of our victories. We’re going to have two weeks to work, something we hardly had in these last 15 or 20 days.
“For me, having had more matches than training sessions… There have been many of them, and they’ve been recovery sessions, at a lower intensity. I miss those training sessions, as a coach, to be able to improve both individually and collectively.”
Arbeloa on Jude Bellingham’s fitness
“We still don’t know anything about Jude. He was in perfect condition to play. And after so much effort… well, it’s a very significant loss. But I have an extraordinary squad. Let no one forget that we have 17 players here who were European champions a year and a half ago. And with them, we’ll overcome whatever challenges come our way.”
Arbeloa on Vinicius Jr
“Vini… it’s a match where we’ve again tried to create opportunities for him to get down the wings, it’s something we need to work on. He scored a great goal and put in a great effort in the second half.”
Arbeloa on the run of fixtures so far
“We lost in Lisbon the other day, but we were coming off three good matches. Winning the third, against Monaco, and then Levante, who, judging by what we’ve seen, don’t seem like such a bad opponent. You always want to improve, that’s clear, but you don’t improve without ups and downs. These players have shown a very strong mentality, because they have it; otherwise, they wouldn’t be here.
“I’m no Gandalf the White, either. What I wanted from my players is what I’m seeing: commitment, attitude. But we must understand that quality alone isn’t enough here; consistency is key. And we’re going to work to achieve it. Because this is Real Madrid, and to beat Rayo Vallecano, we need to do more than the rest of the teams in La Liga. Just like when we go to Villarreal or Valencia.”
Arbeloa on Valverde’s quotes
“They’ve made a great effort. As I’ve been saying for many days, it’s time to work, to keep moving towards where we want to go. These next few weeks are important. We’ve seen many situations, we’re working on them, and we want to continue. But the players’ effort has been tremendous, and for me, it’s been a victory of the soul.”
Arbeloa on Gonzalo playing on the wing
“Gonzalo came on for Franco, and we discussed in the locker room that in those situations, it was better for him to play centrally and Brahim, who is more unpredictable, on the wing. It’s something we’ll have to work on, understanding each player’s profile. We brought Gonzalo on to get into the box.”
Arbeloa on Asencio being taken off at half-time
“He’s making a huge effort to play. I can only thank him for that. His refusal to give up, his commitment to the team. He’s a homegrown player who’s showing what it means to be part of Real Madrid. Today, he couldn’t continue.”
Arbeloa on Rayo’s first red card
“The red card seemed like a foul, I didn’t see the penalty but I’m told it was very clear, and the added time… they probably should have given even more. Because every time they take a goal kick here, it’s a minute. They could have given a few more, but oh well, it’s not a big deal.”
Arbeloa on whether he knows the importance of victories
“You are lucky to have a coach in front of you who doesn’t need to be told what Real Madrid is.”
