Arbeloa: The Negreira Case Should Worry Many, and the Club's Management Doesn't Interfere with My Decisions
Saturday 07-02-2026
Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa appeared at a press conference to discuss tomorrow's match against Valencia in the 23rd round of the Spanish League, which will take place at the Mestalla Stadium.

The coach said in his speech: "The team's condition? I will see tomorrow who will be ready. We are aware of the difficulty of tomorrow's match due to Valencia's strength and the atmosphere of their stadium, and we must give our best if we want to secure the three points."

He added, "The full-backs? I have all the players at my disposal and I will use them in the way I see fit to win. My goal is to choose the player who gives us the highest performance according to the opponent, and we have many players capable of playing in more than one position."

He emphasized, "Valencia always has a strong team, with outstanding players and coaches. Valencia is a city where we feel the love of our fans, but beating Real Madrid is an annual challenge for every team."

Regarding the rest the players received after the Vallecano match: "The planning is clear and easy for me. Organizing the week aims to prepare the players in the best possible way. Of course, Pintus's role is very important for us. In the first 20 days of my work, the players had two days of rest, and this duration may be suitable depending on the workload. It was a week full of effort."

He continued on the Negreira case: "Regarding the Negreira case, I believe that the continuation of the biggest scandal in Spanish football without a resolution should concern many."

He added: "We are in the working phase. Big teams need to do many things right to win. We must develop understanding and mechanisms on the field, and this can only be achieved through intensive work. This week, we focused on improving all aspects of play, and we are still far from reaching our full potential."

Regarding the team's physical aspect: "It's difficult to talk about improvement percentages, but the time allocated for training will be the maximum we can to develop the players and to increase the clarity of what they need to do on the field."

Interference from management in decisions: "There has been no contact from the club regarding my decisions this week."

Regarding the performance of some players: "Mastantuno is a young player who joined Real Madrid at a young age. He has great potential to play on the wings and penetrate defenses. He possesses strength, speed, and works intensively on the field. I am very happy with his work and commitment. Brahim Diaz has the ability to play between the lines and cooperate with his teammates. He can play in different positions according to the match requirements. Fran Garcia is an exceptional young man who works daily with maximum effort. His behavior and perseverance represent the club wonderfully, and having him is a source of pride for me."

He concluded regarding Rodrygo's two-match suspension in the Champions League: "He has issued an official apology for the mistake he made against Benfica, and we are working to get him back as soon as possible and in the best condition so he can help us as he knows how."

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