The Negative Record Arbeloa Matched at Real Madrid
The defeat of Real Madrid against Mallorca in LaLiga seriously complicates the title race. The team now sits seven points behind FC Barcelona, and beyond the result, their performance raised more doubts than certainties ahead of the clash against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
The Los Blancos side has now accumulated 10 defeats across all competitions this season. Five of them came under Xabi Alonso, and the other five under Álvaro Arbeloa as head coach. However, the most concerning aspect lies in the proportion of matches managed.
Comparison Between Coaches
Xabi Alonso led the team in 28 matches, while Álvaro Arbeloa has taken charge of 18. In other words, in less time, the current coach has already matched the number of defeats of his predecessor.
Real Madrid had not reached this number of losses since the 2018–19 season, when they suffered 12 defeats. That campaign, marked by instability on the bench with Julen Lopetegui, Santiago Solari, and Zinedine Zidane, ended up being one of the most difficult in recent years: the team finished third in LaLiga, reached the Copa del Rey semifinals, and was eliminated in the Round of 16 of the Champions League.
A Decisive End to the Season
In contrast, this season Real Madrid still sits second in the league, remains alive in the Champions League—where they will face Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals—and has already been eliminated from the Copa del Rey by Albacete.
It has not been an easy campaign. Constant injuries have forced Álvaro Arbeloa to improvise on multiple occasions, affecting the team’s stability. On top of that, the coach took over at a difficult moment following the unexpected departure of Xabi Alonso, without enough time to implement his playing philosophy.
Álvaro Arbeloa is now just two defeats away from matching the negative record of the 2018–19 season. However, ahead of the matchup against Bayern Munich, the team is beginning to recover players, which could be key in this decisive stretch.
The coach’s future remains uncertain. His role is interim, and his performance in the remainder of the season will be decisive in determining his continuity. A scenario reminiscent of what happened with Zinedine Zidane, who arrived under similar circumstances and went on to build a historic era at the club.
