Álvaro Arbeloa addressed the media ahead of Sunday’s Clásico, urging the Real Madrid faithful to forgive Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni following their recent altercation.
Arbeloa and Vinícius
Reuters
The Real Madrid coach spoke to reporters ahead of the season’s final Clásico at Montjuïc, a match of great significance for FC Barcelona but with little at stake for the Merengues, who bowed out of the LaLiga title race weeks ago.
The tension between Valverde and Tchouaméni has dominated pre-match discussion. Arbeloa accepted their apologies, stating: “I have to say two things. First, I am very proud of the firmness, speed, and transparency of the club. Second, that the players have recognized their mistake, expressed remorse, and asked for forgiveness. That is enough for me. I will not burn them at the stake publicly because they do not deserve it, given what they have shown me over these four months and years. They have demonstrated they know what it means to be a Real Madrid player, and I will not forget that. I always use an example: for me, the paradigm of what a Real Madrid player should be is Juanito. And Juanito never made a mistake. (Fighting back tears) I think we are all very proud of what he did in every match. He understood what Real Madrid is and gave his soul. How could I not make mistakes? But if we love him, it is because he made mistakes like any person can. Valverde and Tchouaméni deserve for us to turn the page and give them a chance to keep fighting for this club.”
The coach also addressed the dressing room atmosphere. “I don’t really know what is being referred to. I say the same as two minutes ago: when a Real Madrid player does not play, it is for no extra-sporting reason. I should not be unhappy with the one who doesn’t play, but rather if I choose the one who doesn’t deserve it. Many lies have been said about players having problems with me… and they are absolutely false. I tell the fans they can be calm with this dressing room and these decisions. Being at this club without winning is not easy, I know; we have gone through very difficult situations, like many years without winning a European Cup—12 passed from the Ninth to the Tenth. We have traversed valleys. But we must do it together: fans, club… no one is more prepared to turn this situation around than our president. He has managed to return Real Madrid to where it belongs. And with all that, we must fight to return Real Madrid to where it deserves.”
The Clásico, LaLiga EA Sports, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Federico Valverde, Álvaro Arbeloa, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona