Newly appointed Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa has taken ownership of the team’s disappointing 3-2 Copa del Rey defeat to Albacete, a second-tier team, while defending his choice to rest several key players.
A dramatic late goal by Jefte Betancor in the 94th minute secured Albacete’s first-ever victory against Madrid, following a 91st-minute equalizer from Gonzalo García that almost sent the match into extra time.
Arbeloa assumed the role of head coach just two days prior, after the departure of Xabi Alonso from the position.
“At this club, a draw is viewed as bad, a defeat like this is a tragedy,” Arbeloa expressed in the post-match press conference. “It’s painful, especially to have lost against a lower-division side. Clearly, we need to improve.”
“I’m accountable for the decisions: the lineup, our style of play, and substitutions. We will work on restoring our morale and fitness ahead of the match on Saturday against Levante in LaLiga.”
This Copa del Rey exit came just three days after Madrid’s loss to Barcelona in the Spanish Supercopa final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which led to Alonso’s dismissal.
In his squad selection for the match against Albacete, Arbeloa chose to omit several key players, including Thibaut Courtois, Jude Bellingham, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Álvaro Carreras, Rodrygo, and Kylian Mbappé, who has been dealing with a knee sprain.
“I was confident that the squad I picked was the right one, and I still believe that,” Arbeloa stated. “We have an outstanding group of players. It’s not easy for them to implement everything I’ve requested after just one day of training. We still have many players to get back to their optimum physical condition.”
“I have no regrets. I would choose the same team again.”
Previously, Madrid had only advanced to the round of 16 in the Copa, narrowly overcoming third-tier Talavera de la Reina with a 3-2 scoreline thanks to a brace from Mbappé in December.
“I believe we’ve hit rock bottom today,” defender Dani Carvajal remarked to the media. “Being knocked out by a second-division team is tough. Congratulations to them. Starting tomorrow, we will engage in some self-criticism, both individually and as a team. There’s still time to change the course of our season.”
Arbeloa added, “If people want to label this as a failure, I understand. For me, failure is often a step toward success. I’m not afraid of that term. I’ve faced defeats in various cup competitions before, and I look forward to getting to Valdebebas tomorrow and working with the players to perform much better on Saturday.”
The new coach emphasized the necessity for physical improvements across the squad, rejecting the idea that the cup exit could be considered a silver lining in minimizing their future workload.
“Losing is never a relief at Real Madrid,” Arbeloa stated. “While it could have some positive outcomes, our objective was never to lose today. Physically, we have significant room for improvement, which is exactly why we have [fitness coach] Antonio [Pintus] on board. I believe we need that.”
Emotional scenes unfolded at the final whistle, with Albacete players celebrating in a lap of honor, while former Madrid defender Jesus Vallejo, sidelined by injury, left the pitch in tears.
“This is the biggest achievement I’ve ever experienced in football,” remarked match-winner Betancor. “It’s truly a dream come true.”
“Nine years ago, I considered leaving football. Now, through hard work and dreaming big, look where we are. I truly believe we earned this victory.”