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ALVARO ARBELOA RESPONDS TO MOURINHO’S "SPECIAL PLAYER" COMMENTS BEFORE UCL CLASH
Alvaro Arbeloa admits feeling emotional after Jose Mourinho called him "one of his boys." Get the full Real Madrid vs Benfica report.
Real Madrid’s manager, Alvaro Arbeloa, couldn’t hide his happiness after hearing what Benfica boss—and his old mentor—Jose Mourinho had to say about him. These two haven’t faced each other as managers before, but that’s about to change on Wednesday night when Real Madrid play Benfica.
Mourinho, never one to mince words, said Arbeloa “might not have been one of the best players” he coached at Madrid, “but maybe he was one of the best.” That kind of thing means a lot to Arbeloa, and it was all anyone wanted to talk about before the match, especially with Madrid aiming for a Champions League top eight spot.
Arbeloa just grinned when asked about it. “Of course, I watched his press conference. I never missed them as a player—we’d all crowd around in the dressing room to watch—and I didn’t miss it today, either. Honestly, hearing him talk about me like that, it got to me. He’s been so much more than just a coach. He’s played a huge role in my life, on and off the pitch. Now I consider him a great friend. I just want to thank him for those words. I can’t wait to see him tomorrow and give him a big hug.”
People love to call Arbeloa a Mourinho disciple, but he doesn’t see it that way. He said at his first press conference that he wasn’t trying to copy Mourinho’s style. Sure, earlier in his playing days, he joked that he tried to be “Mourinhista” in everything he did. But now?
“He’s a role model, for sure. I said it from day one—there’ll never be another Jose. Anyone who tries to imitate him is just setting themselves up to fail. I learned that early. My job is to be myself. Of course, that means there’s a part of Jose in what I do, and I learned a ton from him—how to communicate, how to think about tactics. But at the end of the day, I have to be Alvaro Arbeloa. That’s what I bring. Tomorrow, we’ll both want to win. He’s one of the most competitive people I know—but so am I. What matters is those 90 minutes.”
Arbeloa doesn’t just thank Mourinho, though. “Honestly, I’m grateful to every manager I’ve had, from when I was a kid. Caparrós gave me that push to get to Liverpool. Benítez was key for me, and when I got back to Madrid, I worked with some amazing coaches. I’ve been lucky. Football teaches you there’s no single recipe for success. All my coaches were good leaders with big ideas.”
Even though everyone assumes Arbeloa and Mourinho talk all the time, Mourinho said they haven’t really been in touch since Arbeloa took the Madrid job. Arbeloa laughed that off. “We do talk, just not all the time. I mean, I know what Mourinho’s like. His phone must be chaos—you get why he changes his number so much. I try not to bother him unless I really need to. But he’s the kind of friend you could call at three in the morning, and he’d pick up and help with anything. That’s our relationship. We keep in touch, but I try not to be a pest.”
Mourinho also said he couldn’t really give Arbeloa any advice but just hoped he was enjoying himself in the Madrid hot seat. When someone asked Arbeloa if he was comfortable, he didn’t hesitate. “It’s a huge responsibility, no doubt. You can only do this job if you love it. That’s what I’m doing—trying to get everything out of my players. It’s the same with everything in life: you have to enjoy it, even though it’s hard work.”
Right now, Real Madrid are sitting third in their Champions League group. Even if they lose, they’ll probably get a bye to the Round of 16. Win or draw, and it’s pretty much locked in. And if Bayern Munich slip up against PSV, Madrid could even land the second seed.
“LIFE GOES ON”: THE HIDDEN MEANING BEHIND JUDE BELLINGHAM’S EMOTIONAL INJURY UPDATE
Jude Bellingham is out for a month. Discover how Arda Güler and Arbeloa plan to keep Real Madrid's season alive without him.
Jude Bellingham finally broke his silence after his hamstring injury this weekend, posting just three words: “Life goes on.”
Two days after limping off the pitch in tears against Rayo Vallecano, the Real Madrid star kept it simple on social media. The injury happened early in the match—Bellingham chased down a loose ball, pulled up in pain, and immediately grabbed his hamstring.
Madrid later confirmed he’s dealing with a semitendinosus muscle injury in his left leg. The club didn’t give a return date, but it’s looking like about a month out. That means he’ll miss at least eight games, including both legs of the Champions League knockout round against Benfica.
So yeah, life really does go on for Real Madrid, but losing Bellingham right now is brutal. They’re about to hit the hardest stretch of their season without their 22-year-old superstar.
Why Losing Bellingham Hurts So Much
You just can’t replace what Bellingham gives this team. The moment he left in the tenth minute on Sunday, Madrid lost their best playmaker, their engine in midfield, and maybe their most clutch player—all at once.
But here’s what people miss: Bellingham’s work rate is off the charts. He’s everywhere. He tracks back to help his defence, covers for teammates who aren’t interested in defending, and just never stops running.
Take the 4–2 loss to Benfica in the league finale. Bellingham made four tackles—just one less than the entire backline combined. He ran 6.5 miles in 90 minutes, more than anyone else on the team.
Before the game, Arbeloa even joked that Bellingham needed to “stop running so much.” It’s almost haunting, considering he got hurt chasing down the ball just days later.
So now the big question: who steps up while he’s out? Can anyone fill the void and keep Madrid’s La Liga and Champions League dreams alive?
How Madrid Tries to Cope Without Bellingham
Let’s be honest—no one in Arbeloa’s squad can match Bellingham’s all-round game. But there is one player who can at least fill in at the No. 10: Arda Güler. Don’t forget, the 20-year-old already did it at the start of the season while Bellingham recovered from shoulder surgery.
Güler was on fire early in 2025–26, notching seven goal contributions in his first nine games. His form dipped a bit once Bellingham came back and they had to share minutes, but now the stage is his again.
For Güler, getting another shot as the main playmaker is probably a relief. He’s struggled before when asked to play deeper or control the tempo. This time, he can just focus on pulling the strings up front.
Arbeloa will need Güler at his best to keep Madrid afloat. He’ll also lean heavily on Eduardo Camavinga and maybe Federico Valverde—plus Trent Alexander-Arnold once he’s back—to handle the defensive load Bellingham usually carries.
DISGRACEFUL DEFEAT? WHY KYLIAN MBAPPE CALLED THE LOSS TO BENFICA AN EMBARRASSMENT
Kylian Mbappe labelled Real Madrid's 4-2 loss to Benfica a "disgrace" after goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored a 98th-minute header.
Real Madrid had a rough night in the Champions League, falling 4-2 to Benfica. The loss hit hard—Los Blancos dropped from third to ninth in the standings. Now, instead of cruising into the Round of 16, they’ve got to fight through a two-legged playoff.
There’s even a chance they’ll run into Benfica again when the draw happens on January 30. In this match, Benfica led 3-2 late, desperate for one more goal to clinch the final playoff spot. Then, in the last seconds, their goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin headed in a free kick. The stadium went wild.
Kylian Mbappé didn’t sugarcoat anything afterwards. Reporters asked him about the game and the ending, and he spoke his mind.
Mbappe didn’t hold back—he said Real Madrid deserved the loss.
Players tried to be honest about what went wrong, but Mbappe was especially direct. Speaking to several outlets, he called the last goal, the one they allowed to the opposing goalkeeper, a disgrace. He admitted it didn’t really change Madrid’s fate, but it added to their embarrassment. He said Benfica earned the win, plain and simple.
“That last goal we gave up was a disgrace. It didn’t change anything for us, except that it made us feel worse. We’re exactly where we deserve to be. We haven’t been consistent, and that’s what we need to fix. It stings to have to play the playoffs, but Benfica deserved it.”
He also talked to Real Madrid TV about what went wrong. “Benfica played like everything was on the line. We didn’t. That’s the difference. At the start, both teams had something to fight for, but only Benfica played as if it mattered. We forgot what was at stake.”
Asked about a possible rematch, Mbappe promised things would be different next time. “If we come back here, we’ll show up with a new attitude. The first balls, the duels—they won them not because of skill or tactics, but because they wanted it more.”
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