MADRID (AP) — Álvaro Arbeloa won't try to be the new José Mourinho at Real Madrid.
The former player spoke publicly for the first time as the new Madrid coach on Tuesday, saying he has a lot of Mourinho in him but wants to instill his own style as he takes on his first major coaching job.
Arbeloa, who had been acting as Madrid's B team coach, was announced as the club's new manager on Monday to replace Xabi Alonso following a tumultuous eight-month
stint at the helm.
Arbeloa played for Mourinho at Madrid in the early 2010s and admitted he has been heavily influenced by the Portuguese coach.
“I knew this question would come up,” Arbeloa said in his first news conference as Madrid's main-squad coach. “It was a privilege to be coached by him. He had a huge influence on me, but I’ll always be Álvaro Arbeloa. I’ve never been afraid of failure, but if I tried to be Mourinho, I’d fail spectacularly.”
Arbeloa said he hadn't spoken to Mourinho since his appointment. He had said in the past that he tried to be like Mourinho as much as possible, always being upfront and not afraid of showing a strong character.
Arbeloa said he wants the focus to be on the players.
“I want them to express themselves, enjoy themselves on the pitch and be happy,” he said. "Wearing this shield is the best thing that can happen to you in life, and it’s an enormous privilege for everyone. We need the ambition and the desire to win every title because that’s what this shield demands.”
In what he called “a special day,” Arbeloa also talked about his friendship with Alonso — his former teammate at Madrid, Liverpool and Spain — and said he was lucky to have Vinícius Júnior in the squad.
Alonso and Vinícius had a public spat, with the Brazil forward often complaining after being substituted by the former coach.
“I'm lucky that I have Vinícius, one of the most game-breaking players in the world, who is loved by every Madrid fan,” Arbeloa said. “I want to see Vinícius smiling, enjoying himself, dancing.”
Arbeloa said he was not concerned about having to manage egos in a squad that includes Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham.
“It’s not something that worries me,” he said. “They’re not only great professionals, but they’re also good guys and eager to do things right. No one wants Real Madrid to win more than the players.”
Arbeloa said he spoke with his “friend” Alonso on Monday.
“We have a friendship that is above everything else,” Arbeloa said. “I wished him the best and he did the same to me. He is a great coach and I'm sure he has a great future ahead.”
Arbeloa has been with Madrid for 20 years and is considered to be close with club president Florentino Pérez. Asked if he could be so in an interim role, Arbeloa said he will stay on the job for as long as Madrid wants him to stay.
Jürgen Klopp, touted by some as a Madrid target for the summer, told Red Bull-owned Austrian broadcaster Servus TV late Monday that Alonso’s exit “has absolutely nothing to do with me” and that he is “in the right place” with his oversight role with Red Bull’s clubs.
Arbeloa takes over with Madrid trailing Barcelona by four points at the halfway point of La Liga. The club is seventh in the league phase of the Champions League.
The team’s next match is on Wednesday at Albacete in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey.
Alonso made his first public comments on Tuesday, saying he wished things had gone differently. He did not mention Pérez in his farewell message on Instagram.
“This professional stage is over, and it didn’t go as we would have liked,” Alonso said. “Coaching Real Madrid has been an honor and a responsibility. I thank the club, the players and, above all, the Madrid fans for their trust and support. I leave with respect, gratitude and pride for having done my best.”
Madrid said Alonso left by mutual agreement. The exit came a day after Madrid lost to Barcelona 3-2 in the final of the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Alonso arrived last May under high expectations as Carlo Ancelotti’s replacement and pressure built as the team struggled to play well under his command. Widespread media reports said he had lost control of the locker room.
Most players posted messages thanking Alonso and wishing him luck. Vinícius was not among those immediately publicly bidding farewell to the coach.
Alonso was at Madrid's helm in 34 matches across all competitions, winning 24, losing six and drawing four.
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