Arbeloa addresses finding balance with Mbappé at Real Madrid

Real Madrid manager Álvaro Arbeloa spoke to the press ahead of the upcoming Champions League quarter-final game against Bayern Munich, in which he addressed the team’s preparation, the recent results, and Mbappé’s understanding of what it means to play for Real Madrid.

What stands out most to you about Bayern?

Arbeloa: “They are a very well drilled team. You can quickly see their identity and their patterns of play. They are very aggressive in the defensive phase and they force you into situations where you see every player tracking back tremendously. Then with the ball they push you wide, with players who have a lot of talent.

I think they are a very complete team with many weapons. They are also extremely committed defensively. Kompany deserves every bit of praise because he is doing a tremendous job at Bayern Munich”.

You have six players one booking away from suspension....

Arbeloa: “There is no need [to discipline the players]. They know they are one booking away, but tomorrow is a match on the limit and they know that if they have to take a yellow card for the good of the team, they will do it. But we have already gone many matches carrying players who are on a booking”.

Are you more of a man-manager or a tactical coach?

Arbeloa: “I do not label myself. Put me wherever you want. My obsession is preparing my teams for what they will face on the pitch and getting the best out of every player. You have to be a coach capable of doing everything”.

David Alaba’s impact on the squad

Arbeloa: “It is a huge privilege to have a player with Alaba’s career, not only for what he has done at Madrid but also at Bayern and with his national team. There have been matches where he has helped us a lot. Every player is important, no matter how much they play. He represents all the values a footballer should have”.

What changes about Madrid with Bellingham?

Arbeloa: “What changes is that we are a better team, I am convinced of that. He has different qualities from other teammates and when he is on the pitch we have to adapt. That is what football is about, building relationships between players. But it is a blessed problem to have to fit Bellingham into the team”.

Concentration levels in matches

Arbeloa: “They are different matches and different contexts. The players know perfectly well the match that lies ahead. I do not need to warn them about anything. It is a Champions League quarter final against a team with whom we share a great history, and with the Bernabéu fully behind us. I think we are all aware of that”.

What is the Madrid dressing room like after a defeat like the one against Mallorca?

Arbeloa: “Like any dressing room when you lose. Perhaps more hurt, because if there is one club where defeat is not tolerated, it is Madrid”.

You have only drawn one of 37 matches…

Arbeloa: “It is an interesting statistic. The mentality at Real Madrid is to win. I always think we can win. In some matches we conceded in the final minutes, but this is Madrid and you always have to try to win”.

Has Mbappé understood what Madrid is about?

Arbeloa: “Mbappé knows perfectly well what Real Madrid is. He has always dreamed of playing here. It is not easy what he has done to be able to play here”.

Arbeloa: “To win in football you have to do many things well in every phase of the game. To be a great team you have to be very cohesive and have that collective mentality. That is probably what I am insisting on the most with the players. We have the best players and we also have to be the best team in the world. We have to put talent at the service of the team”.

Finding the team’s balance with Mbappé

Arbeloa: “The only thing that matters to me is what I think, and it is an extraordinary privilege to have a player like Mbappé in the team. I put myself in the shoes of the defenders who have to face Madrid”.

Do you feel this tie is a judgment on the project after a year and a half without titles?

Arbeloa: “We are not thinking about not winning the tie. I understand that you have to analyse every scenario, but for us there is only one: beating Bayern. That is what we want and what we believe in”.

Do you feel you have to reset the team now that Mbappé and Bellingham are back?

Arbeloa: “It is clear that Mbappé has different qualities from Brahim and that means we have to play in a different way. But I am delighted to have those great players available. Mbappé came here to play matches like this. It is a privilege to have everyone available and not a squad with ten or eleven injuries”.

The European clásico is coming. What kind of Real Madrid would you like to see tomorrow?

Arbeloa: “A Madrid that always shows its character against great opponents. Bayern are having an exceptional season. We know the level of demand they will put on us on the pitch. Our history with Bayern is always special. The Bernabéu will experience another great Champions League night”.

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