Benito: 'Happy players aren't enough' as Madrid falter against rampant Benfica
Former Real Madrid player Álvaro Benito offers scathing analysis of Los Blancos' 4-2 Champions League defeat, pointing to deeper collective issues beyond player happiness.
Former Real Madrid player turned pundit Álvaro Benito has delivered a brutally honest assessment of Madrid’s shocking 4-2 Champions League defeat to Benfica, suggesting the club’s problems run far deeper than player morale.
”Not enough at the highest level”
Speaking on Cadena SER’s ‘El Larguero’ program, Benito didn’t mince his words about Madrid’s performance which saw them drop out of the competition’s top 8 positions. The 49-year-old, who played for Los Blancos from 1995 to 2002 before injuries cut his career short, highlighted a concerning lack of collective intensity.
“When the level goes up, at the moment it’s just not enough,” Benito explained, pointing to fundamental issues in Madrid’s approach. “They’ve lacked collective tools in terms of legs, killer instinct, competitiveness… In the duels, they’ve been completely overrun.”
Individual brilliance can’t mask collective problems
While acknowledging standout performances from Mbappé and Courtois as players who “stand outside the catalogue” with their individual brilliance regardless of team form, Benito stressed that modern football demands more:
- The team needs to press better and more consistently
- Vinícius and Mbappé need to receive the ball in better positions more frequently
- Madrid showed a concerning lack of competitive edge compared to Benfica
Beyond the happiness factor
Perhaps most tellingly, Benito dismissed the notion that simply having happier players under Arbeloa compared to Xabi Alonso would be enough to turn things around. He insists the squad needs to be “exhaustively worked” tactically and physically.
“This won’t be fixed in a day, and we can’t demand accountability from Arbeloa just yet,” he added, while praising Mourinho’s Benfica for their “extremely high rhythm and aggression, playing like their lives depended on each ball.”
For Madrid supporters, it’s a proper kick in the Hampstead Heath to see their team struggling at a time when they should be hitting their stride in Europe’s premier competition.