Álvaro Arbeloa rages against officials after Real Betis draw: “Those who make the decisions don’t understand”
A 1-1 draw may have been the final nail in the coffin for Real Madrid’s LaLiga title challenge.
Real Madrid head coach Álvaro Arbeloa was left frustrated as his side conceded a late Héctor Bellerín goal to slip up on the road against Real Betis. That 1-1 draw leaves Madrid eight points behind LaLiga leaders Barcelona, having played one more game.
Los Blancos had failed to close off the game against Betis and were stunned by a 94th minute leveler at La Cartuja. The late goal came after some dogged play from Betis forward Antony, who robbed the ball off Ferland Mendy to set up Bellerín . The Madrid players insisted that Mendy had been fouled by Antony but the officials waved away their appeals.
Speaking after the game, Arbeloa raged against the decision: “For me, it’s very clear. It doesn’t take much to lose your balance in situations like that, where you use your body. But to understand that, you need to have a basic understanding of football. And we have a problem because those who make the decisions don’t understand.”
He added: “It’s a very basic thing. It’s not the first time something like this has happened to us. These are decisions that really affect the game.”
Arbeloa added that Madrid had been denied “a clear penalty” in the first half when a Brahim Díaz shot appeared to strike Betis defender Ricardo Rodríguez on the arm. The Madrid coach said: “It’s not the first time something like this has happened to us. These are decisions that greatly influence the game.”
However Real Madrid’s struggles extend beyond the officiating on Friday night. With the Betis draw, Real Madrid have now won just one of their last six games in all competitions. They were eliminated from the Champions League by Bayern Munich and are now set for a second consecutive season without winning major silverware.
That will likely ensure that Arbeloa’s brief spell in charge is ended this summer but there could be a particularly ignominious end. Should Barcelona beat Getafe on Saturday they would open up an 11-point lead with just five games remaining. If that difference in maintained the following weekend, Barcelona will have the chance to clinch the title in the Camp Nou El Clásico on Sunday, May 10. A truly bleak end for a disappointing season for Real Madrid.
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