Eduardo Camavinga is coming off a more than complicated season. That’s true both for Real Madrid and for Arbeloa himself, who has already been eliminated from La Liga and is waiting for the curtain to come down as soon as possible. For the Frenchman, these remaining games have not helped restore the confidence that has been shaken so much since his infamous sending off against Bayern. The Frenchman lacked experience at Allianz and held the ball in a situation where he had already been given a yellow card, and a mistake by the referee decided the rest.
After a blowout in the Champions League, Madrid resumed their La Liga campaign at home to Alaves. Camavinga was substituted again, but the decision was not all that surprising. It was understood that it was best to protect the former Rennes player from the wrath of the Bernabéu, still hot and disillusioned with everyone over that incident, especially the Frenchman. He came on in the second half but never hid. In fact, at the end of the game, he went to greet the fans, knowing what he was exposing himself to.
Last Saturday we returned to La Liga with a visit to Benito Villamarin. Just like against Bayern, Choameni was absent due to some discomfort, and Camavinga was once again on the bench. This time, Pitaci appeared. This came as a surprise to the French player. He has been even more so in recent days, and even more so since his unfortunate performance in Munich, after hearing the support from his coach. Arbeloa revealed that Camavinga was a controversial footballer to play for Madrid and wanted to stay for many years, but then his decision took a different direction.
It is true that Arbeloa has played French players since he arrived. “Camavinga, who was with me, has played quite a lot, more than in the first half of the season. He was a starter and will be a starter tomorrow as well. I think he is important for me and for the club,” he said ahead of the game against Girona. But this confidence has not translated into key moments of the campaign.
The World Cup is just around the corner
So far, Camavinga has told those he trusts that his idea is to turn things around and that he has no intention of accepting offers this summer. It is clear that Madrid will not be very comfortable with ensuring continuity in this last period of the season, as it will leave them with a blank season, but playing in the World Cup is important for the Frenchman, who is under contract until 2029, and he needs playing time.
However, Arbeloa has already made it clear that he cannot think of keeping minutes with his eyes set on the World Cup. Camavinga is certainly not in Carvajal’s situation, but Deschamps is hardly relied on in the French game, even though the manager is relying on him so far. In the last two friendlies, he came on as a substitute against Brazil and played just 30 minutes against Colombia.
