Leadership among the youth

Álvaro Arbeloa noted that the current Real Madrid squad has an average age of around 23 or 24, compared to the starting eleven that won the last Champions League, which was around 27 or 28. Even so, the coach does not believe that this means there is a lack of leaders or experienced players to lead the young team. “I can name many; there's Carvajal, Alaba, Militao, Bellingham, Valverde, Vinicius, Mbappé… I think there are many players with a lot of experience, who have been with the club and in football for many years, and who have a great personality,” he stated at the morning press conference.

Who is the merengue leader?

In Madridismo, there is a debate about who the current locker room leaders are. In the golden era, figures like Sergio Ramos, Cristiano, Modric, Benzema, or Kroos took on that role; from that group, Carvajal is the one who provides the most continuity, and that's why Arbeloa places him at the top of his list. Other footballers have been soaking up that historical leadership and now appear as options: Valverde, Alaba, and Vinicius are clear examples.

Alaba's presence is not surprising, even tho his time at the club seems to be coming to an end; his intervention to calm Vinicius on the sidelines during the match against Bayern went viral and highlighted his importance within the team. Arbeloa also highlighted two more recent additions: Jude Bellingham, who already won the last Champions League with Madrid in London against Dortmund, and Kylian Mbappe.

He defended Mbappe

Regarding the Frenchman, the coach always defended him against criticisms about a supposed lack of commitment due to specific details on the field. For Arbeloa, Mbappé's experience, having won a World Cup at just 18 years old, is enough to consider him a mentally prepared player with the ability to take on responsibilities in the locker room. And that's all.

WATCH beIN SPORTS XTRA LIVE FOR FREE ON YOUTUBE