Arbeloa: “Against Girona, we want to play a great match as a team”

Álvaro Arbeloa appeared in the press room of the Ciudad Real Madrid and analyzed the match against Girona for matchday 31 of LaLiga, which will be held at the Bernabéu (Friday, 9:00 pm CEST; Orange TV and Movistar LaLiga): “We are eager to compete again and to do so at home, in front of our fans. We need to go out not just to get the three points but to play a great match as a team, with a lot of determination.”

“Tomorrow I want to go out and win. Despite the result, I believe I put out the best possible team in Mallorca. Since I’ve been sitting here, I don’t think about rotations for the next match. I believe the most important match I have as a coach is tomorrow’s, and I will field a team that lives up to it.”

The comment about Mbappé
“Not just Mbappé, I want players who want to be Real Madrid players every single day. When I say that, I think it’s important to want to be yourself beyond the talent and quality my players have. It’s clear that you can’t play a Champions League quarterfinal or matches with huge motivation every single day. That’s when self-demand comes in and the desire to be your best version every day. When someone wants to be their best version every day, it goes beyond their talent. It’s about attitude, commitment, effort, and determination.”

“That’s what we need from Real Madrid players, that tomorrow against Girona they feel they have to shine, that they need to play a great match, regardless of whether it’s one of the 38 LaLiga matches they play or if it’s a quarterfinal. We need them to want to be themselves every day, to be willing to give their best. It’s clear that it’s not easy, but that’s what we need from this team and these players. To step onto the field and have their biggest motivation be giving their best.”

Expectations for Vini Jr.
“You know what I think of Vini Jr., what he means to me as a coach and as a madridista, the talent he has, and the performance he’s delivered since I’ve been on the bench. I wish he could play every match I have at the Bernabéu. The whistles, I believe, are part of the demands of this fanbase; I see it as something normal and natural. I imagine other coaches might sense a tense atmosphere, but this is Real Madrid—the demands are at the highest level. What we feel, above all, is the support of our fans. We can't ask them for anything more. If the team fought hard in the second half and pushed against Bayern, it was because of how the Bernabéu rallied.”

The second leg against Bayern
“We’re not in a position for experiments, and it’s clear that we’re very eager for the Munich match to arrive. From the moment the referee blew the final whistle, we’ve been in the mindset of going to the Allianz Arena and showing what we’re capable of. Real Madrid has built its history by overcoming great challenges like Wednesday’s, but first, we need to focus on tomorrow’s match. It’s something I repeat to the players often. Wednesday’s match starts tomorrow, and we need to deliver a great performance and make a huge effort. We’ll have enough time to recover. There are four days ahead, and everyone’s focus must be on giving our best tomorrow, with our people. That’s the only goal: to play a great match.”

Do you think any player has lacked effort in any match?
“No, absolutely not. I’m also not the type of person who likes to come here and talk about what I want my players to do on the field. I understand that it’s important in life, in all aspects, to have great attitude, commitment, and effort. The talent of my players is there; it’s wonderful—they are many of the best players in the world. To win matches, talent alone isn’t enough. Sometimes it might be, but if we want to be consistent in our performance, we need more than just talent.”

Difference in cards compared to Barcelona
“I think everyone knows my opinion about what has happened in Spanish football for so many years and what continues to happen at times. I’m not going to change my opinion.”

Are Barcelona's complaints about the controversy justified?
“I don’t want to get into that type of evaluation. We’ve already seen what happened last weekend and what continues to happen week after week. My opinion is out there; it’s what I think, and it’s what I’ll continue to hold because it’s what I keep seeing week after week.”

Player motivation for the Girona match
“I believe they are the first ones who want to play tomorrow, even more than I do. They’re very eager because any Real Madrid player, when they have a match where they don’t manage to win, despite performing well and having many chances, feels the result wasn’t what they were looking for. And when something like that happens, you wish you could play the next day—that’s what you want. I’ve spoken to many of them, and they’re all ready and excited for the match to come so they can deliver a great performance for the fans and, most importantly, for themselves.”

The fight for La Liga
“We’re aware that every match is very important for us. If we had little margin for error before, now it’s even less, and what we aim for is to win every match. As long as there are chances, we’ll keep fighting, and if one day there aren’t any, we’ll still fight the same. This doesn’t change; we know what we represent, the badge we wear on our chest, and the demands that come with it. We’re ready to face it.”

Mendy, Militão, and Bellingham
“Militão and Jude will be starters. Ferland will likely get some minutes.”

Camavinga
“I believe Camavinga has played quite a lot under me. I think even more than in the first part of the season. He started last weekend, and he’ll start tomorrow as well. He’s a very important player, not just for me, but for the club. Eduardo has been here for many years; he has demonstrated many times the kind of player he is, and I think he has the trust of everyone within the club and, of course, of his coach.”

“He’s a great player, and the fact that he feels he can contribute more is a good thing. It means he sets high standards for himself. It’s clear that every coach will ask players for different things. Eduardo is a guy with exceptional physical attributes, and he also has great ball control. He covers a lot of ground, has outstanding qualities for modern football, and I’m happy with the performance he’s delivering. We always try to improve things, for him to understand what we want from him on the field. I’m sure he will not only be important for this part of the season but also for the future.”

The arbitration system in Spain
“It’s not about trusting or not trusting; it’s about what we’re seeing. On Tuesday, after our match and the tackle on Mbappé, I also said it’s difficult to understand how such a tackle couldn’t be a red card. These are things that continue happening, even now with VAR, which seemed like it was going to solve many issues. In the case of Spanish football, we’re still waiting for an explanation, and we need to fix it because it’s not just about Real Madrid. I think there are many doubts surrounding these kinds of decisions—some weeks it’s a red card, some weeks VAR steps in, and others it doesn’t. I try to focus on my job as a coach. Right now, I’m thinking about the Girona match and then about Bayern.”

The importance of Militão
“When Militão is at his best, he’s probably the best center-back in the world because of the qualities he possesses. Physically, he’s very dominant. Also, in one-on-ones, defending large spaces in open field—which is very important at Real Madrid. He has powerful aerial ability, which also helps us in set-piece situations, and he’s a player with great ball distribution. He’s very complete. His mentality and the character he brings to the team are also crucial. That’s beyond question. It’s a privilege to have a player like him.”