Alvaro Arbeloa took on perhaps the toughest task in football, with the pressure not only to get Real Madrid back on track but also to right the wrongs of Xabi Alonso's short-lived era.
The former Bayer Leverkusen coach had only served seven months of his three-year contract with Los Blancos, losing his job less than 24 hours after Real Madrid suffered a 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final.
The result may have sealed Alonso's fate, but the tactical decisions that sparked surprise, the public clash with Vinicius Junior and the inability to give the team a clear identity, turned one of the most promising young coaches in football into something more than a sensational headline in the Spanish newspapers.
Arbeloa failed the first test
How much blame Alonso actually bears for Real Madrid's plight remains debatable, but what is not in doubt is the daunting task Arbeloa inherited: a tired dressing room, under pressure to win trophies, with no clear direction on how.
With no experience as a top-flight coach, Arbeloa took charge of the world's biggest club and began his adventure in the worst possible way just two days later. Real Madrid were knocked out of the Copa del Rey after a shocking 3–2 defeat to second-tier Albacete, reaching the round of 16.
It didn't matter that many of the main stars had remained in Madrid for that match; if Arbeloa was unable to lead a lineup with Vinicius Junior, Federico Valverde, Arda Guler and Gonzalo Garcia to victory against a La Liga 2 team, then Real Madrid's future looked truly at risk.
Arbeloa declares loyalty to Real Madrid's number 7
However, despite what happened on the pitch, the new coach impressed in his post-match press conference, taking full responsibility and refusing to single out his players for disappointing performances. The former Real Madrid Castilla boss was very Carlo Ancelotti-esque in front of the microphone, defending his team with conviction, with the highest praise reserved for Vinicius Jr.
"He was willing to help the team and carry it on his back, to run everywhere and never hide. That's the Vini Jr. I want to see, the one who dares, who takes responsibility and who makes a difference."
"There will be better days and worse days, but I have seen that he is dedicated and that he is a captain. I am convinced that he will give us great nights and that if Real Madrid wants to win trophies, we need the best version of him."
Arbeloa declared his loyalty to Real Madrid's No. 7. Less than four weeks before these statements, Alonso had found himself in a similar situation, asked about Vinicius Jr's struggles on the pitch, which had led to boos from the Santiago Bernabeu fans. The former Spain international had simply said that fans had "the right to express their opinion".
It was no secret that the relationship between Alonso and Vinicius Jr was strained. The Brazilian angrily stormed off the pitch and into the tunnel when he was substituted in the first El Clasico of the season, left Alonso out of his public apology for the incident and remained silent, unlike his teammates, when the club parted ways with the Spanish coach.
Reports even claimed that Vinicius Jr had halted contract renewal negotiations with Real Madrid due to a bad relationship with Alonso, who only let the winger play 90 minutes in nine games during his time on the bench.
Having one of the club's main faces in constant conflict with the coach was damaging for everyone, and Arbeloa made sure to build a positive relationship with the No. 7 from the start, calling Vinicius Jr "one of the most exciting players in the world" in his first press conference.
Arbeloa's open support has already helped the Brazilian rediscover form. Vinicius Jr created three goals against Monaco and scored a spectacular goal in a 6-1 win over the Ligue 1 side. With a big smile, the 25-year-old ran to the touchline to hug his new coach after scoring.
Real Madrid is slowly finding a new identity
Arbeloa threw away Alonso's playbook. Another persistent problem of the Alonso era was strange tactics. The former Liverpool icon was not afraid to experiment with formations and rotations, often to his own detriment.
From putting Vinicius Jr on the right wing against Paris Saint-Germain to leaving him on the bench in the first leg of the Champions League, or activating Fran Garcia as a left midfielder against Elches, Alonso created unnecessary and largely unsuccessful moves at the Bernabéu.
The former coach even defended with five men in the Spanish Super Cup final, a system that could hardly work when two of the defenders were natural midfielders, facing names like Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha.
Arbeloa, on the other hand, has made it clear that he will move away from Alonso's tactics and give freedom to his key stars, once again following Ancelotti's example.
"We want to see a Madrid, beyond tactical ideas, playing systems or organization."
The best example of what can be done under his leadership was seen against Monaco. Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham and Franco Mastantuono scored goals, Guler and Valverde provided three assists, while Aurelien Tchouaméni only mishandled two passes in 90 minutes.
There will be stronger opponents in the future, but Arbeloa is already showing that less tactics and more freedom gives the team the green light to play without restrictions and as a united unit.
Real Madrid are gradually building a new identity. Another big problem under Alonso was a lack of identity. The team often seemed disjointed and disjointed, as if they were simply doing their job even in the biggest games.
Even when they were winning, the players did not live up to the standards and expectations of the jersey. There was no brilliance, no passion, to the point that the home fans booed their players on several occasions.
Even under Arbeloan, the team was heavily booed in the first half against Levante last weekend. However, a brilliant second half showed signs of a new identity taking shape, which the former Castilla coach is placing above all else.
"Character and mentality can never be missing and represent what Real Madrid is. That mentality, that ambition, that desire, that passion, all together, unity. These are our values. They are what must represent us and that we must never abandon. After them will come footballing ideas."
The team remains a work in progress and Arbeloa cannot immediately fix Real Madrid's systemic problems. But the Spaniard already looks like a better fit for what the club is looking for: a manager, not just a coach.Telegrafi
