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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.
DAVID ALABA TO LEAVE REAL MADRID THIS SUMMER, FABRIZIO ROMANO CONFIRMS
David Alaba is leaving Real Madrid! Analyse Fabrizio Romano's update on Alaba, Rüdiger, and the future of Dani Carvajal.
Fabrizio Romano says Real Madrid have made up their minds: David Alaba is leaving at the end of the season. Romano, who’s always on top of these things, also gave updates on Antonio Rüdiger and Dani Carvajal.
Alaba joined Madrid back in 2021 after his contract with Bayern Munich ran out. He was a free agent then, and Madrid snapped him up. At Bayern, Alaba became one of Europe’s standout defenders, playing both left-back and centre-back. He won the Bundesliga and Champions League twice with them.
Things started well for Alaba in Spain, too. He’s picked up two LaLiga titles and two Champions League trophies with Madrid. But lately, injuries have really slowed him down. Now, at 33, and with his contract running out, Madrid have decided not to offer him a new deal.
Romano broke the news on his YouTube channel: “The decision is made, David Alaba and Real Madrid will part ways at the end of the season. It was up in the air for a while, but now Madrid is clear. He’s expected to leave after a long run in Germany and then Real Madrid, and he’s looking at new options for the summer.”
So, Alaba’s time in Madrid is almost up. He’s weighing up his next move.
As for Rüdiger and Carvajal, things are less clear. Both are also out of contract at the end of the season. Carvajal lost his spot in the starting eleven under Alvaro Arbeloa, with Trent Alexander-Arnold taking over and impressing. On Rudiger, our transfer insider Graeme Bailey reported in February that he’s open to a Premier League move this summer. His representatives have already talked to Tottenham, Crystal Palace, West Ham, and Chelsea, plus there’s interest from Saudi Arabia.
Romano says Madrid still hasn’t made any decisions on Rüdiger or Carvajal. “Many of you are asking about Dani Carvajal and Antonio Rüdiger. Right now, nothing’s been communicated or decided. These decisions will come closer to the end of the season, so we’ll have to wait and see what Madrid and the players want to do.”
There’s more: Romano revealed Madrid haven’t decided what to do with a young talent who’s caught the eye of Arsenal and AC Milan. Meanwhile, the agent for Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai has spoken about whether his client wants a move to Madrid this summer. And, just to throw another twist in, there’s talk that Jurgen Klopp could sell a Madrid winger to Manchester United if he becomes boss at Los Blancos.
AGENT VINI: HOW VINICIUS JUNIOR INFILTRATED MBAPPE AND BELLINGHAM’S DMS TO SIGN THEM
Real Madrid’s Rodri pursuit begins! Discover how Vinicius Jr recruited Mbappe and why the Galáctico 3.0 era is facing a 2026 crisis.
Vinicius Junior didn’t just sit back and watch as Kylian Mbappé or Jude Bellingham got linked to Real Madrid. He jumped right in, texting both of them, basically playing agent, nudging them toward Madrid.
Bellingham finally landed in Madrid in 2023 for a hefty €103 million, after what felt like endless rumours about Liverpool. Mbappé took a bit longer. After years of endless gossip, he finally let his contract at PSG run out and showed up a year later.
Vinicius wasn’t shy about his role. “Every summer, I’d message him: ‘When are you coming?’ "I acted like his agent,” he told Ibai Llanos in a recent interview. “Did the same with Bellingham.” Why? Simple: he just wants to play with the best, thinking that’s the ticket to more trophies. But, as always with Madrid, things aren’t that straightforward.
Vinicius is hooked on the Galáctico ideal, that old Real Madrid idea that you just keep stacking superstar talent and the team gets better. It’s a glamorous vision, but it’s also the sort of thinking that’s tripped Madrid up more than once under Florentino Pérez.
Pérez first took over with big promises, leading with the blockbuster signing of Luís Figo. Then came Zidane, Ronaldo, and Beckham, one superstar after another. But to pay Beckham’s wages, Pérez sold Claude Makélélé, the team’s midfield anchor. Zidane summed it up best: “Why put another layer of gold paint on the Bentley when you’re losing the engine?” Madrid paid for it. They won just a single Spanish Super Cup over the next three seasons, and Pérez eventually lost his job.
When Pérez returned in 2009, he started another Galáctico project, signing Ronaldo, Kaká, and Benzema. But then, in 2014, Madrid let go of Ángel Di María, the tireless engine in midfield, and brought in James Rodríguez, who never quite fit. Another trophy drought followed.
Now, with Mbappé in the mix, it feels like just another flashy addition. Madrid had just pulled off a tough league and Champions League double in 2024, with Joselu, an old-school striker, leading the line. But instead of sticking with what worked, they brought in the roaming, high-profile Frenchman.
Mbappé’s personal stats look great, but the team’s results haven’t matched up lately. Both Carlo Ancelotti and Xabi Alonso lost their jobs after the team failed to repeat those big wins.
And if anyone’s felt the impact, it’s Vinicius. He fought so hard for Mbappé to join, but now they both prefer the left wing. They’ve only shown flashes of real chemistry. The numbers are telling: before Mbappé, Vinicius scored about once every 155 minutes. With Mbappé on the pitch, that drops to once every 223 minutes.
The twist is, off the field, they’re tight. Mbappé is one of Vinicius’s closest friends at the club, along with Camavinga and Mendy. “We spend more time together than with our families,” Vinicius said. “We have to have a good relationship.” If only that connection showed up on the pitch.
So, who’s next on Vinicius’s call list? If he’s still playing the agent, Madrid now really needs a defensive midfielder, a new Toni Kroos, someone who can control the game. There are interesting options out there, like Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller or Chema Andrés, who came up through Madrid’s academy. But if Vinicius still wants a superstar, there’s one obvious (and tricky) choice: Rodri.
Rodri’s been on Madrid’s radar for years. He’s a serial winner, runs the show for Spain, and controls games at the highest level. He’d cost a fortune, but the fit is perfect. The problem is, he just won the 2024 Ballon d’ Or, the same award Vinicius thought he deserved. Vinicius was so upset, he and the entire Madrid delegation boycotted the ceremony in protest. Rodri didn’t seem too bothered. “It’s up to each person or club to decide what to do,” he said later. “I wouldn’t have done it, but that’s just me.”
Now, more than a year later, maybe those hard feelings have faded. If Madrid wants to keep building, Vinicius might just have to reach out again, awkward or not.
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