Following Real Madrid Champions League matchday eight defeat at Benfica, manager Álvaro Arbeloa addressed the media in the Estádio da Luz press room. The manager stood by his previous comments and accepted sole blame for the performance.
“I don’t regret any of my statements because they reflect what I believe,” Arbeloa stated. He firmly dismissed any notion that the result was due to a lack of effort from individual players.
The manager acknowledged his side fell short of the required standard. “Clearly, we were far from where we wanted to be,” he said. “We knew before coming here we had a lot to improve. To win these matches, you have to do many things well for the full 90 minutes, and we were unable to perform at that level today.”
When asked if the match was the strangest he had experienced, particularly after Benfica’s goalkeeper scored, Arbeloa responded calmly. “It’s not the first time a goalkeeper has scored against me. They took a risk, we took a risk, and in the end they won.”
He was not surprised by Benfica’s strong performance or the challenge posed by their coach, José Mourinho. “I was perfectly aware of the level of the opponent, the atmosphere, and the coach we would be facing,” Arbeloa explained. He added that his post-match embrace with Mourinho was a private matter.
Taking full responsibility, the manager said, “When things don’t go well, the responsibility is always and absolutely mine because I wasn’t able to get the players to approach the match the way I wanted.” He reiterated this point regarding recent results, stating, “I feel completely responsible when things don’t go well.”
Addressing specific substitution decisions, Arbeloa clarified they were tactical. “We needed the changes. I wanted to protect the team,” he said, expressing full confidence in the players he brought on.
