TAlvaro Arbeloa has been on a winning streak in La Liga since making the step up from Castilla to Real Madrid’s first team, winning five in a row against Levante, Villarreal, Rayo, Valencia and Real Sociedad, putting him just two wins away from making the club’s best start ever as manager.
This record is held by Brazilian Wanderlei Luxembourgo, who has won seven consecutive games since joining Real Madrid in the 2004-05 season. He is the third manager in a busy season at the Santiago Bernabéu, with Jose Antonio Camacho resigning early and being replaced on an interim basis by Mariano García Lemón.
The arrival of the Brazilian coach on the 15th match provoked a reaction from the Galacticos, who won seven consecutive games until losing to Athletic Club (0-2) at the Santiago Bernabéu. They finished La Liga in second place, four points behind Barcelona.
The second best record is recent. It was decided by Xabi Alonso this season. After making his debut as Real Madrid manager in last season’s final competition, the Club World Cup, he won six consecutive games in his first game for La Liga EA Sports.
From August until the end of September, they defeated Osasuna, Oviedo, Mallorca, Real Sociedad, Espanyol and Levante, but suffered a setback in the derby at Metropolitano. The 5-2 defeat canceled out their good form and sowed doubt among the club’s higher-ups.
Arbeloa are on the verge of making La Liga history
Since Arbeloa took over from his best friend, he has won every domestic tournament. As a result of the two losses, they were eliminated from the Copa del Rey match against Albacete, and after losing 4-2 against Da Luz, they were eliminated from the Champions League repechage against Benfica, their opponent in the last 16.
In La Liga, Arbeloa is on his way to making history by adding his name to the club’s record books. His debut at the Bernabéu was a chaotic one, with players booing during the game against Levante and Vinicius and Jude Bellingham blowing whistles, but this was resolved in the second half (2-0). At La Ceramica, we recorded the most solid victory in terms of team image (0-2).
They struggled more than expected, as they were awarded a penalty in the 100th minute, but they defeated Rayo Vallecano 2-1 at the Bernabéu. In the absence of Vinicius, they won a serious game against Mestalla (0-2). Then, without Kylian Mbappé, Real Madrid became interim leaders, defeating current team Real Sociedad (4-1).
Arbeloa believes his team is progressing to compete in La Liga and the Champions League, with defenders such as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Antonio Rudiger recovering from injuries and balance restored by moving full-backs Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga to their natural positions as midfielders.
His winning streak in the league exceeds that of any legendary manager in recent years. Italian Carlo Ancelotti, the most successful manager in the history of Real Madrid, won the first three games in his first league match and one win at the start of his second season. Frenchman Zinedine Zidane equaled two cycles, scoring two wins in both. Both managers had won 12 straight league games, and the tournament was going smoothly.
Vicente del Bosque, German Bernd Schuster and Julen Lopetegui had won three La Liga matches upon their arrival. Arbeloa’s victory against Real Sociedad puts him in line with five other players: Jose Quirante in 1929, Enrique Fernández in 1953 and Chile’s Manuel Pellegrini in 2009.
To achieve the best record, Arbeloa must play against Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday, then beat Osasuna next Saturday and Getafe at the Bernabéu on matchday 26. If he can maintain his winning streak, he will become the only manager to have won his first eight league games when visiting Celta at Balaidos.
