Alvaro Arbeloa took to the stage at Real Madrid City to analyze the club’s current situation ahead of the Champions League round of 16 first leg against Manchester City. Bernabéu: “It’s going to be a difficult game, but it’s a great game and one that the fans are looking forward to. We’re going to go win the game and we’re very motivated. The Champions League is important for all of us.”
Mbappé and his knee: “It’s getting a lot better. It’s about every day and we’ll see how it changes. It’s been a very positive week and he’s back in a great mood. He’s getting better every day and I’m looking forward to being back soon.”
Favorite?: “If I say it’s always my favorite, that’s my opinion. We are Real Madrid and we have never felt inferior to anyone. We should never feel inferior to anyone. We have rivals that we know very well, we know the identity of their clubs and players and what City stands for and how it is always complicated to face them, but we go into this game with enthusiasm and always looking them in the eye.”
Vigo’s phrase “I’m happy for those who wanted to go”: “No, when you say that…I’m happy that there are people who want to come.What I wanted to do was to cherish those who made an effort.It wasn’t just one or two people…There were many people who made an effort.” That’s all I said. The rest is the interpretation you wanted. It’s not because the players weren’t in Vigo. It doesn’t mean, grammatically or semantically, that someone didn’t want to go. ”
Guardiola: “He always has surprises in store. No matter how much you watch the team, he is a manager who has something different in store for himself. You have to think about the many variations he can do. I would be very surprised if there were not some changes in City’s structure tomorrow. You always have to be ready to face a manager like Guardiola.”
Laporta: “Yes, candidate Laporta…I think he is the one who quadrupled the payments to Negreira. Nothing more.”
Guti’s words and “poisoned candy”: “I have a lot of respect for him, because of what he means to Real Madrid and what he has left behind. I respect his opinion very much, because, as I say, I’m not here to evaluate every opinion. It’s a very strong greeting. I hope I can hug him soon.”
Two months in charge of the first team: “I don’t think there’s any difference… You can grow and learn in these two months. I think I’m the same person, but two months as Real Madrid manager is a master’s degree. I’m grateful for every day I spend here.”
Homegrown players: “I think we can all agree that in Vigo the homegrown players were undisturbed and they all contributed a lot. We have the best players in the world here and we have to stop putting one of our youth players in the first team. It won’t be easy for the coach, but if I do that, I think they will contribute. We have a lot of players who can help us a lot and we are ready for a game like tomorrow and they have already proven that.
Camavinga: “It’s been much better. It’s been a very bad week. They say it’s worse than a toothache here. But he’s been in the team since Saturday and he’s perfectly ready for tomorrow.”
Do you think tomorrow’s draw is a good result? “I think we’ll go for the win tomorrow.”
