Arbeloa fumes after “hard to understand” Valverde red card
The Real Madrid manager was blunt and clear regarding the Uruguayan’s sending-off. “We did what we had to do,” he summarised.
Arbeloa spoke to the media after the a crazy derbi madrileño which saw Real Madrid win 3-2 thanks to a Vini Jr double and a Valverde goal.
The game had everything: amazing goals, a red card, a penalty, VAR drama, crunching tackles, and sensationally talented players.
How do you feel? “Happy. We did what we had to do: win. One more to go and we keep moving forward.”
Where would you say Real Madrid stand right now? “In a good moment. It’s clear it wasn’t easy, because we were up against a great team who made things difficult for us. We had to show a very strong mentality. After the 2-2 we had to respond, and that’s what I liked most: the mentality. That’s what makes us great.”
Nobody understood the red card shown to Valverde... “It’s hard to understand. I appreciate him coming to the touchline to explain it to me. Sometimes, in real time, a play looks one way. When I watch it again, I might see it differently. Still, those 15 minutes were another great display of character, camaraderie and solidarity. Thank God it didn’t turn into anything serious.”
How did you experience your first derby? “It was exciting, very exciting. I always say the atmosphere in the derbi is the most special in the league. Today I experienced it as a coach, and it also came after several years in which we hadn’t managed to beat Atlético de Madrid at our stadium. It was important to do it. I’m happy for the lads, because they deserve this victory. We go into the international break feeling very confident.”
🏁 FT: @RealMadridEN 3-2 @atletienglish
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) March 22, 2026
⚽ 33' Lookman
⚽ 52' @vinijr(p)
⚽ 55' @fedeevalverde
⚽ 66' Molina
⚽ 72' @vinijr
👉 @emirates pic.twitter.com/h5QdzfPkV5
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