"They think they're untouchable": Benito's scathing assessment of Real Madrid's youth crisis
Former Madridista Álvaro Benito delivers brutal verdict on Real Madrid's Copa del Rey defeat, questioning players' attitudes and club's future direction.
Former Real Madrid player Álvaro Benito has delivered a blistering assessment of the club’s youth team following their shock 3-2 Copa del Rey defeat to Albacete, suggesting the players believe themselves beyond coaching.
”Players think they can’t be imposed upon”
Benito, who played for Los Blancos from 1995 to 2002 before injuries cut short his career, didn’t hold back when analysing what he sees as a troubling attitude problem within the squad on radio show ‘El Larguero’.
“It’s a triumph of players who feel they have the authority that they can’t be imposed with a style or certain obligations,” Benito stated, clearly struggling to find diplomatic phrasing. “I don’t know how to explain it without sounding harsh, but that’s the reality.”
The comments came after Álvaro Arbeloa’s disappointing debut as Madrid’s youth team manager following Xabi Alonso’s departure.
Quality concerns
Benito’s analysis identified two possible explanations for the poor performance:
- Many players simply aren’t at Real Madrid standard
- Several squad members are performing well below their capabilities
Either way, the former midfielder believes the situation reflects poorly on both the players and the club’s management structure.
The Xabi Alonso question
What particularly troubled Benito was how Xabi Alonso - fresh from remarkable success with Bayer Leverkusen - couldn’t implement his playing philosophy with Madrid’s youngsters.
“How can it be that you can’t reproduce your game model because certain players refuse or aren’t capable of fulfilling certain obligations that should be the simplest things in the world?” Benito questioned.
He sees this as a systemic failure that raises serious questions about who can actually control these players and convince them to follow tactical instructions.
Falling behind Barcelona
Benito didn’t shy away from the painful comparison with Madrid’s eternal rivals, suggesting Barcelona’s youth setup has surpassed them:
“Your rival here, Barça, does comply with that and lately has been superior. You might win some matches against them, but the feeling is they’re superior.”
While acknowledging Madrid’s first-team potential when everyone is fit and focused - citing Vinicius, Rodrygo, Bellingham, Rüdiger, Militao and Carvajal - Benito concluded with a sobering assessment: “Today is a day to hit rock bottom.”
For Madrid supporters, it’s a proper kick in the Hampstead Heath to hear such criticism from a respected former player, but few could argue with his assessment after watching that Albacete performance.