Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa sought to dampen speculation surrounding a fall-out with captain Dani Carvajal as he spoke ahead of the La Liga fixture against Real Betis. “My response the other day was blunt and serious, it was in response to a question I found inappropriate; it wasn’t directed at Dani Carvajal,” Arbeloa explained. “You can see how I respond whenever I talk about him; just ask my players how I speak about him in front of the group. You’re trying to cast me in an unfair light in this situation. He’s more than ready for the World Cup; I’m happy with him, and I think he should be just as important to the national team. I’ve always had a good relationship with him; I’ve always treated him with affection, respect, and admiration. For people to think I pick my lineups for personal reasons… I find it hard to believe that there’s a single coach in the world who doesn’t pick his lineup based on footballing reasons.”
“It’s not up to us; our goal is to win all six, regardless of what Barcelona does. We’re only focused on this game, but it’s not up to us.”
“My main goal shouldn’t be to motivate a Real Madrid player. They already set very high standards for themselves. My goal is to prepare them for what awaits them on the field.”
“It’s very simple: only 11 players can take the field. It’s not that the others can’t play. I know I’m being unfair to a lot of them, but I know how hard they train. That’s all there is to it.”
“Whenever you ask me, I always say the same thing: it’s up to them. I’d be happy with whatever makes them happy. Whatever is good for Carvajal and Madrid is good for me.”
“He’s playing at a high level; he’s earning his spot on the team with a performance that leaves no room for doubt. Every game is a matter of life and death for me. When I put a player in, it’s because I believe he deserves it and because I think it’s the right move to win; I don’t give anyone a minute of playing time for free.”
“I don’t care if he likes Mourinho, Julia Roberts, or whoever.”
“My responsibility is to win every game; that’s how I see it, and that’s what I ask of the players. We have to be professional and respectful of the team.”
“You’ll have to ask him. I feel privileged to have him, and I’m sure he’ll play a great game tomorrow.”
“Other things may have happened, but there’s a lot more we need to get right beyond that.”
“He’s going to have a scan, but it doesn’t seem serious. We’ll see what the results show.”
“The young players have really stepped up; they’ve shown they can hold their own on the first team. That’s one of the most positive aspects of this season. We’ve seen them perform very well, like the other day in the Youth League, and also with Castilla… My confidence in them will always remain unshaken.”
“I’m not backing down, and I hope they won’t either. I’m sure we’ll continue to see that commitment.”