Alvaro Arbeloa Confirms His Departure From Real Madrid, Grateful to the Players, and Tributes to Carvajal

Arbeloa closed his cycle as Real Madrid's coach with gratitude, reflections on his time, and a special tribute to Carvajal.

He will not continue as Head Coach.

In an emotionally charged press conference, Alvaro Arbeloa confirmed this Friday that he will not continue at the helm of Real Madrid. The coach from Salamanca, who took on the role under special circumstances, is leaving "grateful" to the club and to the players who, in his own words, made him "enjoy every day and become a better coach today."

Arbeloa highlighted the constant learning since his arrival on the bench in January and emphasized the role of his players: "They have made me better, they have made me enjoy every day, learn a lot, and be a better coach today than I was on that 12th or 13th of January." He also thanked Florentino Perez and Jose Angel Sanchez for the opportunity, and all the people surrounding the first team. "I'm leaving with many friends. Very happy and hopefully one day I can come back," he expressed.

The relationship with the players and the future of the club

The former defender emphasized that his relationships with his players, even in disagreement, helped him grow as a person and coach. "There are times when we have agreed, others when we haven't, but that's part of life," he said. Regarding his future, he was blunt: he will not be part of Jose Mourinho's coaching staff if the Portuguese returns to the club. "He has a fantastic coaching staff... there is no possibility that I could be with him," he clarified.

The next match against Athletic Club

Arbeloa also referred to Dani Carvajal, who will play his last match with Real Madrid this weekend. He described him as "a symbol of Madridismo" and asked the Bernabéu to stand up to pay tribute to him. "We Madridistas have been very lucky to have been able to enjoy Carvajal," he said, placing him "at the very top" of the white club's history of full-backs.

Regarding Vinícius Júnior, he confirmed that the Brazilian has permission from the club for a personal matter and his presence against Athletic Club is uncertain.

Aware of the difficulties he faced, Arbeloa assured that he always thot more about Real Madrid than about himself. "I have tried to do it in the best way, not my way, but the best way," he summarized. His departure marks the end of a brief but intense cycle, in which he made it clear that the club will continue to be his home.