Arbeloa's bubble bursts after Real Madrid's European nightmare
Radio pundit David Sánchez delivers a brutal assessment of Real Madrid's defeat in Lisbon, claiming it exposes deeper problems than just a European slip-up.
The honeymoon period for Álvaro Arbeloa at Real Madrid appears to be well and truly over following their disastrous European night in Lisbon.
Balloon popped
David Sánchez, journalist and regular pundit on Radio MARCA’s ‘La Tribu’ programme, didn’t mince his words when assessing Real Madrid’s latest European disappointment. According to Sánchez, the defeat has completely punctured the optimistic narrative that had been building around Arbeloa’s tenure at the Bernabéu.
“Se ha pinchado el globito de Arbeloa,” was his blunt assessment - the little balloon around Arbeloa has been popped. Quite the statement considering the positive vibes emanating from the club in recent weeks.
Not personal, it’s structural
Sánchez was careful to clarify that his criticism isn’t aimed personally at Arbeloa’s coaching abilities. Rather, he believes Madrid’s problems run much deeper and have been present for some time:
- The issues are structural and pre-date Arbeloa’s appointment
- The same problems existed under Xabi Alonso’s management
- The squad has “less football” (less quality) than both Madrid fans and the players themselves believe
Domestic contenders, European pretenders
The pundit’s assessment of Madrid’s competitive level was particularly telling. He reckons they’ve got enough about them to battle for La Liga until the season’s end, but when it comes to the Champions League, they’re simply not at the races.
Regarding the Lisbon disaster, Sánchez rejected the notion that it was an attitude problem. In his view, the players gave it a proper go but simply weren’t good enough - a damning indictment of a club with Madrid’s European pedigree.
Hype machine exposed
Perhaps most scathing was Sánchez’s take on the narrative that had developed around Arbeloa. He suggested the defeat in Lisbon has put the kibosh on what he called an “unsellable motorbike” - essentially calling out those who had hyped up Arbeloa as some sort of reincarnation of Ancelotti, Zidane or Del Bosque.
While Sánchez doesn’t believe Arbeloa is the root cause of Madrid’s problems, he’s adamant that the new gaffer isn’t going to be the miracle worker some had painted him to be.
For Los Blancos fans, it’s a proper kick in the Khyber after what had seemed like a promising new chapter.