Real Madrid manager Álvaro Arbeloa vented his frustration over the refereeing decisions and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system after Friday’s 1–1 draw with Girona (1–1) in Friday’s La Liga round 31, while underlining his full faith in the Merengues’ capacity to overturn the tie in the Champions League and orchestrate another ‘remontada’ on German soil.
Refereeing and questions
In a blunt post-match interview, the coach criticised the failure to award a penalty to star player Kylian Mbappé, describing the incident as “as clear as day”.
“That’s a penalty here and on the moon,” he stated. “I don’t understand when VAR intervenes; it seems they only use it when it suits their whims. Today only reinforces my belief that we’ve been consistently hurt by refereeing this season.”
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Confidence in the stars and a collective solution
Despite the draw, the manager played down concerns over the goalscoring slump of Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior, stating: “I’m not worried about two of the world’s top-five players. The issue isn’t individual; it’s our collective play against deep defensive blocks. We must improve as a unit to break this deadlock, and Wednesday’s game can be the turning point.”
Roadmap to the Munich clash
Looking ahead to Tuesday’s Champions League trip to Bayern Munich, the coach issued a defiant warning, insisting that history and the famous white shirt will carry extra weight.
“We’ll have enough time to analyse our mistakes and correct them; we’re going to Germany with the sole aim of winning.”
“Some may think a comeback is impossible, but we’ll travel with 25 players who are fully convinced we can progress. They may see themselves as favourites, but they’ll face the prestige of this badge and the history of this shirt, and we’ll put up a fight worthy of Real Madrid.”
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Bellingham and Camavinga.
The manager praised Jude Bellingham’s performance, noting that he had regained his rhythm following the break. He also expressed satisfaction with Eduardo Camavinga’s display in the holding midfield role, describing the youngster as a successful tactical choice that adds flexibility to the team.
On the title race, he refused to concede defeat: “I will only feel we have lost the league when we are mathematically out of it, and until then, we will fight for every point and put the club in the best possible light.”