Former Real Madrid midfielder Iván Helguera has delivered a sharp assessment of the club’s recent managerial decisions, arguing that Álvaro Arbeloa’s struggles were predictable and expressing reservations about José Mourinho’s impending return to the Bernabéu.
Speaking to Flashscore, Helguera reflected on the controversy surrounding quotes from Kylian Mbappé that he had privately been told by Arebloa he was considered the team’s “fourth-choice striker”.
“What has caused this to happen? It’s because
you haven’t managed things well before. From my point of view, everything has always been fine, Arbeloa has always been to blame. Of course, in the end it’s difficult… From a coach, Xabi Alonso, who was more demanding from the start, to zero demands regarding behavior, regarding how I’m going to manage this group. In theory, anything goes. Well, I think all these things have happened, right? But Arbeloa, obviously, from my point of view, is largely to blame, but so is whoever put Arbeloa there,” Helguera said.
The former Madrid midfielder went on to question the logic behind Arbeloa’s appointment in the first place, arguing that the coach had not yet demonstrated enough at senior level to be handed one of football’s most demanding jobs.
“Arbeloa was in charge of a reserve team that had only been around for five months, and suddenly… It’s not like things were going particularly well for him. We can’t really say if he’s a good, bad, or mediocre coach. And then, suddenly, he’s managing a team like Real Madrid. So, I think it’s not just Arbeloa who has mismanaged things; I simply think he’s never faced these situations before, and he’s clearly made mistakes. Big mistakes. But those who put him there are also to blame, right?”
Mourinho’s return raises questions
Helguera also weighed in on the club’s reported decision to turn to José Mourinho as its next manager.
While acknowledging Mourinho’s credentials and achievements throughout his career, he admitted to having concerns about whether the Portuguese coach is the right fit for the current moment.
“Mou has been a fantastic coach. He’s proven it in many places, but it’s true that he hasn’t coached at the top level for many years. So, that worries me. And on top of that, people want him to be a hardliner. Well, I don’t think that just because Mourinho is coming, there has to be a hardline approach to everything that happens at Real Madrid. You have to manage the group well, that’s all. I don’t know if it would be appropriate now.”
Helguera argued that Real Madrid’s identity has always been larger than any individual coach and warned against embracing an overly authoritarian approach as a solution to the club’s recent struggles.
“You can’t change Real Madrid. The coach can’t change Real Madrid. You have to understand what Real Madrid is. Real Madrid is a serious team and club that knows at all times that competing is the most important thing and winning is the most important thing, but it has certain values and principles. You can’t just get carried away with a heavy-handed approach and think anything goes,” he said.
A call for perspective
The former Madrid player also urged supporters and decision-makers to avoid overreacting to a difficult period, noting that setbacks have always been part of the club’s history.
“Real Madrid has always been a classy team, and we have to try to return to those beginnings, which I think have been somewhat lost with everything that’s been happening—two years without winning… We’re going crazy, in a manner of speaking, because Barcelona won. It’s not the end of the world. Real Madrid always bounces back. They went over thirty years without winning the Champions League, and it’s always been a dream for Real Madrid. And even playing well, the Quinta del Buitre didn’t win the Champions League.”
