Morientes Backs Madrid for Champions League Glory and Hails Arbeloa's Youth Push
Fernando Morientes has been speaking on Madrid's season, the Benfica tie, Arbeloa's management style, and his role on the Tiempo de Revisión panel.
Fernando Morientes reckons Real Madrid are well placed to go deep in the Champions League — and he’s not losing any sleep over the mid-season managerial change either. The former Madrid striker was speaking at an event organised by LaLiga and Airbnb, alongside Andrés Iniesta, centred on the connection between footballers and their hometowns.
”If Madrid Can’t Fight for the Champions, Imagine the Rest”
Morientes was typically measured when asked about Madrid’s prospects this season. With February barely done, he’s not panicking — and he doesn’t think anyone else should be either.
- He pointed out that the business end of the season is still ahead, and that’s when Madrid tend to hit their stride
- He stressed the importance of players peaking in March, April and May — and said that’s on the coaching staff to manage
- On the Benfica tie, he was blunt: it’s as good as done. Playing at the Bernabéu, he said from personal experience, is no picnic for the away side
He also flagged Vinicius Jr as the difference-maker right now, calling his display in Pamplona outstanding, while noting Mbappé is still finding his feet after injury.
Arbeloa and the Academy Lads
One of the more interesting bits of the chat was Morientes waxing lyrical about Álvaro Arbeloa’s willingness to blood youth players. He drew a parallel with Benito Floro, who gave him his debut as a teenager, and said managers who actually know the academy lads are far more likely to trust them.
- Arbeloa spent his entire coaching career in Madrid’s youth setup before stepping up
- Morientes is convinced that when Arbeloa picks a canterano, it’s purely on merit — because nobody knows those players better than him
- He acknowledged it’s an incredibly tough job, not just on the pitch but off it too, and said he simply wishes him the best
On the managerial switch from Ancelotti mid-season, Morientes kept it diplomatic — decisions get made, results drive those decisions, and the final verdict comes at the end of the campaign.
His Role on Tiempo de Revisión
Morientes also cleared up what he actually does on the refereeing review panel. He’s not making the calls — he’s just picking which incidents get looked at.
- A four-person group selects the plays for review
- The CTA (Technical Committee of Referees) then does the actual explaining
- He’s happy with his work, and was clear that his selections don’t change any decisions already made on the pitch
He was refreshingly unbothered about the Madrid and Barça bias accusations that tend to follow these panels around.
The Ball That Means More Than Any Trophy
Finally, as part of the LaLiga x Airbnb tie-up, fans can win a VIP experience at Morientes’ home, where he keeps a small personal museum of memorabilia. The prize exhibit? The match ball from the day he scored five goals against Las Palmas.
“I keep it like it’s gold dust,” he said — and apparently it ranks above his league titles and Champions League medals in his affections. Lovely stuff.