Real Madrid’s La Liga title ambitions suffered a significant blow after a frustrating 1-1 draw against Girona, and manager Alvaro Arbeloa did not hold back in his post-match assessment.
With tensions running high at the Santiago Bernabeu, the spotlight shifted to a controversial late incident involving Kylian Mbappe.
The French forward appeared to be denied a clear penalty, leaving both players and fans stunned.
Speaking after the match, Arbeloa made his feelings crystal clear when asked about the incident involving Mbappe.
“To me, that’s a penalty here and on the moon. And… well, it’s just another one. Another one, another week. That’s the way it is, and that’s just how it goes.”
Mbappe suffered a nasty blow. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
The situation escalated further when Mbappe was left visibly injured after the challenge, yet VAR chose not to intervene.
Arbeloa openly questioned the consistency of the system, offering a brutally honest take.
“ I don’t even understand it, and I don’t think… anyone does. When VAR intervenes… I guess it’s when it’s convenient, and when it’s not, well, it doesn’t.
“It’s a play that, to me, is crystal clear. They called a foul on Kylian in the first half that, well, to me, was less than a penalty. And that’s it.
“We’ve had a lot of issues with the referees. With this one… last week in Mallorca… well… same old story.”
When asked whether he had spoken to the referee after the game, his response was brief and telling: “No, no. Absolutely nothing.”
Despite the controversy, Arbeloa shifted focus to his team’s overall performance, particularly the recent struggles in front of goal from key attackers like Mbappe and Vinicius Jr.
“I can’t worry about Mbappe and Vinicius’s stats. We need to improve as a team in many areas, and hopefully on Wednesday we can put an end to our slumps and be more clinical in front of goal.”
Arbeloa also shed light on his in-game decisions, including experimenting with Eduardo Camavinga in a deeper role.
“I wanted to see Eduardo in that position. He feels very comfortable as a defensive midfielder, and he understands that that’s the position where he performs best.
“For me, it was important to see him, to make sure he understands what I want from that position.”
Jude Bellingham returned to the starting XI. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
On Jude Bellingham, who recently returned to the starting lineup, the manager remained cautiously optimistic.
“We’ll see, we’ll see on Wednesday. But yes, I think Bellingham has looked good. Agile, confident.