Arbeloa: "We have no other goal but to fight to earn the 36 points"

At the post-match media conference, Arbeloa confessed that he takes the responsibility of the team's loss. He also emphasized the team's goal for the rest of the season: to earn the last 36 points in La Liga.

The match

“I think we had clearer chances than Getafe. Obviously, it's a match where we could have done things better, but it’s also a match where we competed and had much clearer chances than they did. We tried to score from the first minute. We had Vinicius' chance in the first half, which was very clear; in the second half, the chances from Rüdiger and Rodrygo. We had several chances, and I think we deserved to score a goal, but football is not about deserving. Getafe did a great job, as they always do. We knew the kind of match we would face. Nothing happened that we didn’t expect.”

Feelings

“We have 36 points left, and our goal is to earn those 36 points. I know that after a defeat like today’s, things look very bleak, and there’s not much hope when you lose like this, but that has to be our goal. We have a very difficult match in Vigo, and we have to go and win it. Then, the Champions League tie against a great rival like Manchester City. But nobody here is throwing away La Liga or anything else. There are 36 points left, and we are going for them, knowing that we have a lot to improve. I won’t criticize the effort of my players today. That’s something I won’t fault. That we can do things better is my responsibility.”

Turning the situation around

“I see that we have great players, a great squad, and players who will recover and help us a lot. Our goal is to keep improving and to know that we can do better on the pitch. I understand the perception after a loss like this, but whether we’ve played poorly, worse, or okay, I think we played a match where we deserved to score more goals than Getafe. It didn’t happen. They played the game we knew they would play, scored a great goal, and we didn’t take advantage of our chances.”

The solution to this situation

“I think these are different matches, the one in Pamplona and today’s. Today, we struggled against a rival that defended very well, didn’t press either of our central defenders in their buildup. Maybe we needed to be much more aggressive in that first line, put more players in the final line, make many more runs, and be more aggressive on the wings. It’s true that we often rely on the ‘easy’ option, which is Vinicius, who has great dribbling ability, but we must be able to create threats on both sides and be a constant danger down both wings. That’s something we need to correct and improve.”

“We’ve talked a lot about the difficulty of attacking low blocks. It was a match with many interruptions, and the referee allowed the game to be disrupted, to stop the match, with lots of holding. This is not a criticism of Getafe because they do what they’re allowed. Faced with the difficulty imposed by Getafe, we struggled to create more chances, though I think the ones we had were enough to score at least one more goal. But of course, there’s plenty of room for improvement.”

Responsibility

“I didn’t say we’re incapable of playing well. Don’t put words in my mouth that I haven’t said. We created chances to have scored a goal. I think we can play better, that’s also true. And I repeat, I cannot fault the effort of my players, which is the first thing I ask of them. The improvement in our play is my responsibility, and it’s my job. If there’s someone responsible for the defeat, it’s me. I take responsibility, and all that remains is to work with my players.”

The substitutions

“With Dean, Alaba had a slight strain at halftime, but we also wanted to be more aggressive in the central defenders’ buildup, to step up and create more space in their structure. With Carvajal, we wanted a bit more width and aggressiveness on the outside. Rodrygo is a player who, even with little space, can create a lot of opportunities.”

“I understand that the substitution of Thiago was booed because, as I’ve said many times, I don’t substitute players because they’re playing poorly. I think Thiago had a great match and put in a great effort. It didn’t seem like it was his first start for Real Madrid because of the personality he showed. He should be very pleased with his performance. His substitution wasn’t due to his performance; on the contrary, he deserved the ovation. If I’m booed for the substitution, I accept and understand it.”

The absences

“When you lose, you always remember important players like the ones you mentioned, but we are Real Madrid, and I can’t use absences like Bellingham or Mbappé as excuses. We have players and enough quality to win matches. That’s what this squad is for. I’m not going to make excuses for today’s absences.”

How have you improved the team since you arrived?

“That’s not for me to evaluate.”

The cards and Mastantuono’s sending off

“These are things that shouldn’t happen, like Mastantuono’s. I don’t know exactly what he said to the referee, but if he was sent off, it must have been for a reason. We can’t have these kinds of actions. I understand that both Huijsen and Carreras’ yellow cards are part of the game, but they will leave us with three important absences for the match in Balaídos. I don’t think they were intentional by the players.”