Ceballos Holds His Hands Up After Costly Osasuna Blunder
Dani Ceballos took to social media to apologise after his error gifted Osasuna their second goal in a damaging Real Madrid defeat. Here's the full picture.
Dani Ceballos did the decent thing after Real Madrid’s painful late defeat to Osasuna — he went on X and held his hands up. No hiding, no excuses. Just a short post, a sorry-face emoji, and the words “Asumo mi responsabilidad” alongside a photo from the match.
Credit where it’s due for owning it. But the context behind the mistake makes for grim reading if you’re a Ceballos fan.
What Actually Happened
Ceballos lost the ball in his own half — the sort of sloppy turnover that punishes you at any level — and Osasuna’s forwards didn’t need a second invitation. Raúl García finished it off with a goal that, in the cold light of day, could prove absolutely pivotal in the title race.
The defeat hands Barcelona the top spot, and Carlo Ancelotti’s — well, Álvaro Arbeloa’s — side now need others to slip up if they want to claw back the initiative.
The Bigger Problem for Ceballos
Here’s the thing though — this isn’t just about one mistake on one afternoon. Ceballos has been at Real Madrid for five seasons now and still can’t nail down a regular spot. That’s a long time to be on the fringes.
You’d have thought this campaign might finally be his moment. Madrid have been crying out for a creative midfielder, and that should’ve been Ceballos’s window. But it hasn’t worked out under either manager this season:
- Xabi Alonso at the start of the year? Couldn’t convince him.
- Álvaro Arbeloa since the Supercopa? Barely getting a look-in.
Since Arbeloa took charge, the numbers are pretty damning:
- Ten matches under the new boss
- Ceballos didn’t feature in five of them — half the games, gone
- He didn’t even get minutes in the Copa del Rey tie against Albacete
- Total playing time: just 144 minutes out of more than 900 available
- That’s roughly 10% of the football on offer
Ten per cent. In a season where he should’ve been pushing for a starting berth. That’s a proper sickener.
Where Does He Go From Here?
It’s a tough one. Ceballos clearly still wants to make it work at the Bernabéu — you don’t publicly apologise to the fanbase if you’ve mentally checked out. But goodwill only stretches so far, and performances like Saturday’s don’t exactly build a case for more minutes.
With the title now slipping towards the Camp Nou, Madrid can’t afford any more gifts. And Arbeloa, whatever you make of his appointment, will be under pressure to get results — which probably means leaning on the players he trusts most.
Right now, Ceballos doesn’t appear to be one of them. And that’s a proper shame, because on his day, the lad can genuinely play a bit.