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.
WHY DID REAL MADRID CHOOSE TO KEEP ENDRICK DESPITE MASSIVE PREMIER LEAGUE INTEREST?
After a stellar loan at Lyon, Endrick will return to Real Madrid this summer alongside Jacobo Ramón to form a new youth core.
Real Madrid has zero plans to let Endrick leave this summer. That’s what we’re hearing, even with Arsenal and Chelsea knocking on their door. We’ve also got some updates on Jacobo Ramon’s future.
Endrick is finishing his loan at Lyon on a high note. He’s put up seven goals and seven assists in just 18 games, and people are excited about what he could do long-term.
The 19-year-old forward from Brazil wanted more game time after struggling for chances with Xabi Alonso in charge at Madrid, so he pushed for a loan. Now, with Alonso gone, Endrick’s focused on forcing his way into Brazil’s World Cup squad, and honestly, the way he’s been playing lately, he’s making a strong argument.
Big clubs are paying attention. Arsenal and Chelsea have both checked in recently to see if Madrid would be open to a deal for him this summer.
But Madrid’s answer? No chance. They’ve told both clubs straight up: Endrick’s coming back to the Bernabéu, and he’s in their first-team plans for next season.
Endrick’s on board with that, too. He wants to stay and fight for a spot, a real chance to prove himself as a regular in Madrid’s lineup.
Florentino Perez backs him all the way; he still believes Endrick is the best young talent out there. The club isn’t about to change its mind.
Endrick’s not the only Madrid youth getting attention from the Premier League. Arsenal and Chelsea have also been checking in about Jacobo Ramon, the young centre-back playing for Como in Italy right now.
Ramon’s been playing alongside Nico Paz under Cesc Fabregas and has done well. Even though he moved from Madrid to Como last summer, Madrid made sure to keep buy-back and sell-on clauses, so it’s almost like he’s still a Madrid player on loan.
Now, the plan is for Ramon to return to Madrid this summer with Endrick and Paz. The club’s looking to keep its young core together and build the future around them.
Lots of clubs are watching Ramon; more than six want to sign him. But honestly, Madrid’s stance is pretty clear: just like with Endrick, they aren’t budging.
So for Arsenal, Chelsea, and anyone else hoping to swoop in, the message is simple. Madrid is keeping their best young talents. They’re not letting them go.
HOW HECTOR BELLERIN’S 94TH-MINUTE STUNNER PUSHED REAL MADRID TO THE TITLE BRINK
Real Madrid's title hopes faded after a 1-1 draw with Real Betis. Discover the impact of Bellerin’s goal and Mbappe’s injury.
Real Madrid’s La Liga dreams took a big hit Friday night when Héctor Bellerín scored a 94th-minute equaliser, earning Real Betis a 1-1 draw. With that late goal, Madrid now sit eight points behind Barcelona, and if Barça win their next match, they could pull even further away with just a handful of games left.
Madrid actually started strong in Seville. Vinícius Jr took advantage of a goalkeeping mistake and put them ahead early in the 17th minute. After that, Madrid had control for large stretches, but it just didn’t translate into goals. Kylian Mbappé had one ruled out for offside, and Jude Bellingham, along with the rest of Madrid’s attack, missed some big chances. It all came back to haunt them when, in the dying seconds, Bellerín capitalised on the chaos at the back and smashed in the equaliser.
People are talking about Madrid’s defence and not in a good way. They’ve failed to keep a clean sheet for ten straight league games. The last time the backline struggled this much in a single season was way back in 2003-04, when Carlos Queiroz was in charge. This run has cost Madrid dearly, with dropped points piling up right when the title race is heating up.
This result marks Madrid’s fifth league draw this season, another missed chance that opens the door for Hansi Flick’s relentless Barcelona to run away with the title. With their Champions League hopes already gone, Madrid are now staring at what could be just their fifth season without a trophy this century. About the only bright spot? Mbappé made his 100th appearance for the club, becoming just the tenth Frenchman to reach that milestone for Madrid. Still, even that was undercut; he limped off with a suspected hamstring injury about ten minutes from the end.
Honestly, the title now looks like a lost cause. If Barcelona beat Getafe, they will go 11 points clear. Madrid has two tough away fixtures next: Espanyol, then Barcelona in a do-or-die El Clásico that could finish off their title hopes for good. With their form stalling and Barça flying, Madrid now need a minor miracle and a huge Barcelona slip-up to avoid ending this season empty-handed.
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