Helguera takes aim at Arbeloa has doubts over Mourinho’s return: “This isn’t the Real Madrid I knew”

Iván Helguera carved out a place in Real Madrid history during his eight seasons at the Santiago Bernabéu from 1999 to 2007. With more than 200 appearances, three La Liga titles and two Champions League trophies, the former defender still follows every twist and turn inside the locker room. In a new interview with the sports outlet Flashscore, the 51‑year‑old didn’t hold back when assessing Álvaro Arbeloa’s tenure — or the possibility of José Mourinho returning to the club.

When asked about Kylian Mbappé’s recent comment — “I’m the fourth forward” — which stirred controversy, Helguera pointed directly at the coaching staff.

“How did we get here? It’s because things weren’t managed well from the start,” he said. “From my point of view, Arbeloa has always been blamed for everything. It’s tough… You go from a coach like Xabi Alonso, who was demanding from day one, to suddenly having zero demands in terms of behavior and group management. Everything was allowed. That’s why all of this has happened. Arbeloa, in my opinion, is very much at fault — but so is the person who put him there.”

Helguera argued that Arbeloa wasn’t ready for the job. “He was coaching a reserve team for five months, and it wasn’t even going that well. We don’t know if he’s good, bad, or somewhere in between as a coach. And suddenly he’s managing Real Madrid. I don’t think he handled things well — not because he’s incapable, but because he had never faced situations like these. He made a lot of mistakes. But again, so did the people who appointed him.”

Mourinho? Helguera says he’d choose Klopp instead

The former Madrid star also expressed doubts about José Mourinho returning to the club, saying he’d prefer someone like Jürgen Klopp.

“Mou was a great coach. He proved it in many places. But the truth is he hasn’t coached at the top level for many years. That worries me. And on top of that, people expect him to come in with a heavy hand. I don’t think bringing in Mourinho automatically means you need to rule with an iron fist. What matters is managing the group well. I’m not sure he’s the right fit right now.”

Helguera stressed that Real Madrid’s identity shouldn’t be reshaped by any coach. “You can’t change Real Madrid. A coach can’t change what this club is. Real Madrid is serious, competitive, and built on values and principles. Winning is essential, but not at any cost. You can’t just go all‑in on discipline and forget everything else.”

“Real Madrid has always been a classy club”

Helguera believes the club has drifted from its traditional, high standards. “Real Madrid has always been a classy club, and we need to get back to that. I think we’ve lost that a bit with everything that’s been happening. Two years without winning… people are losing their minds because Barcelona won. It’s fine. Real Madrid always comes back. The club went more than 30 years without winning the Champions League, and it was still the dream. And even the legendary Quinta del Buitre never won it, despite playing beautiful soccer.”

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