Arbeloa's Dignity at Stake at the Bernabeu

MADRID, MONDAY – The first home match of Alvaro Arbeloa as the head coach of the Real Madrid first team was marred by boos and expressions of dissatisfaction from the supporters in the stands of the Bernabeu Stadium. Arbeloa has the opportunity to calm the Madridistas, the supporters of "Los Blancos," when they face AS Monaco in the seventh match of the Champions League group stage on Wednesday (21/1/2026) at 03:00 WIB.

Although starting his regime at Bernabeu by defeating Levante 2-0 at Bernabeu on Saturday (17/1/2026), this was not enough to instill confidence in the Real squad. Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham regularly received boos during their appearances, while President Florentino Perez was met with criticism through banners displayed in several corners of the stands.

The target of criticism from Madridistas is directed at the key players who have not been able to perform at their best. In fact, they tend to throw tantrums more often due to the tactical policies presented by Arbeloa's predecessor, Xabi Alonso.

Perez is considered too hasty in managing the Real squad. He is overly involved in the "kitchen" matters of the locker room. Before Alonso, Perez also experienced a rift in his relationship with Carlo Ancelotti at the end of last season.

Jose Mourinho, the former coach of Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013, stated that the current situation at Real is very undesirable. He also firmly rejected any suggestions of being linked again to manage the Los Blancos squad.

"Don't involve me in the soap opera that's happening there (at Real Madrid). That drama happened a long time ago," said Mourinho, who now coaches Benfica, as reported by A Bola on Monday (January 19, 2026).

In order to temporarily calm the turmoil within the team, Real must return to a positive path in the Champions League, their primary habitat. Facing Monaco cannot be taken lightly by Kylian Mbappe and his teammates.

Without their best performance, Real could face a series of consecutive defeats at the Bernabeu in the Champions League. Real's last match in European club competition ended in a 1-2 loss to Manchester City in Madrid.

On the other hand, only a win can keep Real Madrid in the top eight and secure a direct ticket to the round of 16. Failure to win could see Real Madrid face another knockout playoff match, similar to the 2024-2025 season.

Arbeloa stated that he does not have the authority to stop the whistles from the supporters directed at a handful of his players. During his time as a Real player, Arbeloa added, he also frequently received whistles when he was in possession of the ball.

"(The whistles) show that they (the fans) demand that we always play at our best for the club. We have to deliver something much better than before this midweek," Arbeloa said, as reported by Marca.

He (Arbeloa) asked us to enjoy ourselves in every match. Be confident in our own abilities and not to worry about the strength of the opponent.

Furthermore, Arbeloa is confident in the mental strength and character of his squad to emerge from the difficult situation following their failure to secure the Spanish Super Cup earlier this month. According to him, this period is the best opportunity for the players to prove their worthiness to wear the Los Blancos jersey.

"I strive to help players improve their performance in every match. In addition to encouragement during training, players must also demonstrate greatness of heart and fighting spirit to prove themselves in actual competitions," said Arbeloa, who has been coaching the youth team of Real since 2020.

Real Madrid's central defender, Raul Asencio, has known Arbeloa well since honing his skills at the Real academy, "La Fabrica." The 22-year-old player also revealed Arbeloa's request to all Real players.

"He (Arbeloa) asked us to enjoy ourselves in every match. To have confidence in our own abilities and not to worry about the strength of the opponent," said Asencio.

Asencio is confirmed to be the partner of Dean Huijsen at the heart of Real's defense when hosting Monaco. This is due to the condition of another center-back, Antonio Ruediger, being highly doubtful because of an injury.

They must perform flawlessly to keep Real's goal secure against Monaco's counterattack tactics. Monaco's fast forward duo, Folarin Balogun and Ansu Fati, along with attacking midfielder Aleksandr Golovin, could pose a nightmare for Los Blancos if they are not vigilant.

In the record of encounters between the two teams, Real and Monaco have met only twice in the knockout phase of the Champions League 2003-2004. In those meetings, both teams defeated each other at their respective home grounds. Real triumphed over Monaco 4-2 at the Bernabeu.

Meanwhile, Monaco has been inconsistent in domestic competition. Having suffered four consecutive defeats in the league, Monaco has managed to continue advancing in the French Cup by eliminating Auxerre and Orleans.

Monaco's chances of advancing to the knockout stage of the Champions League remain open. They secured their second victory in Europe by defeating the Turkish giant, Galatasaray, 1-0, last December.

The competitive mentality of Monaco cannot be doubted when facing major games. This was demonstrated when they triumphed over Paris Saint-Germain on November 29.

Monaco's coach, Sebastien Pocognoli, revealed that his team arrived in Madrid under unfavorable circumstances. Nevertheless, he stated that the best way to recover from a series of scoreless results in Ligue 1 is to achieve a positive outcome at Real's home ground.