How Arbeloa’s first game in charge of Real Madrid went wrong before it even began

With the expression of someone who’s just seen Freddy Krueger – only this time in a real-life nightmare. Álvaro Arbeloa’s debut ended with him slipping on a banana peel at the Carlos Belmonte, making him the third coach in the club’s history to lose a trophy in his first game in charge. It happened to Guus Hiddink, who lost the 1998 European Super Cup to Chelsea in his opening match, and to Julen Lopetegui, who suffered the same fate in 2018, beaten by Atlético Madrid in that same continental competition.

The new coach’s share of responsibility – however much an air of interim status may hover over him, whether he likes it or not – cannot be zero. With just one training session, Arbeloa barely had time to unpack his drones, let alone the cutting-edge gadgets he is known for showing off at Valdebebas. But he did make decisions. One of them was a squad list that left several heavyweight names in Madrid without any injury excuse.

He cut an impassive figure on the touchline, showing little emotion as the minutes – and the home goals – suffocated his team. When he intervened with substitutions, Arbeloa barely altered the landscape. One decision stood out: introducing the much-criticized Camavinga as a makeshift fullback in place of Fran García, who had just prevented a goal. García was one of those not left behind in Madrid – unlike Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo or Kylian Mbappé – while another omission that felt like a punishment was Dani Ceballos. He did not even warm up, and players from Castilla such as Cestero – and later Manuel Ángel – were preferred in his position.

Carvajal was on the bench and did come on briefly for match fitness, but there was no attacking Plan B in case Albacete came out – as they did – full of fight. That absence was glaring, from the form Rodrygo has been producing (a goal in the Jeddah semifinal derby and four assists in the last two league games) to the theoretical, once again theoretical, influence Bellingham should provide, among others. “I have no regrets, it was the right squad, I would pick it again a thousand times,” the coach said afterward, trying to justify himself after the Albacetazo.

La Fábrica could not be the lifeline this time

His first decision regarding the Castilla contingent also failed to pay off. He misjudged the choice of a key youngster by handing Cestero, just 19, the keys to the team from the start. While obviously the last name on the list of those responsible, he could not become the creative holding midfielder Madrid needed as a vital supply line, and to make matters worse, a serious mistake from the youngster gifted a clear chance that led directly to the corner kick for the 2–1 goal. Not even La Fábrica, so often a source of rescue, could improve what was on display.

For Arbeloa, more than being Spartan, the task now is to be Stakhanovite – starting with Levante.

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